The Strongest Champion
by Houkaru Kisaragi
Summary: The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend. When Naruto is flung into a bizarre dimension where monsters could bring about the apocalypse, he does the one thing he knows best – punch them in the face and make them his friends.
1. Poke-What?

"You're saying that these monsters -"

"Pokemon." Professor Philena Ivy corrected with a saccharine drawl.

"Whatever!" Naruto Uzumaki retorted in exasperation. "People enslave them, put them in a ball, and force them to do incessant battles for the rest of their lives. What kind of sick, twisted sonuvabitch could come up with something like that?"

Philena shrugged. "You can consider it as a hobby."

"Oh yeah?" Naruto growled. "Well, it's a cunt's hobby."

"Language here, my dear." Philena stirred her cup of warm coffee with a spoon, her eyes fixated at the mystery that was Naruto. He came from the stars in a tacky outfit, demanding to save the world from a nut-job who was about to use the moon to keep everybody high as kite. As a scientist, Philena valued concrete proof above groundless babbles.

Truth be told, she had checked a few nearby mental asylums for a runaway, but none had returned her calls. She wouldn't rule him out as insane, but the blond sure had his ways with words. She almost believed in his story about being a ninja. Almost. Maybe it was his innate charisma. That or he was a hunk and she had been secluded from civilization due to work and her hormones were acting up.

Philena regained her composure and took a sip from her beverage. She really needed the caffeine. "I think you're getting it wrong, Naruto-san. Pokemon and humans coexist peacefully together. It is their desire to fight and be strong."

"How would you know if they have the desire to fight and be strong?" Pardon Naruto for being sceptical, but the last time he checked, these Pokemon couldn't convey their thoughts verbally like humans could. "Are you some sort of a telepath? Can you read their minds?"

"No." Philena hastily argued, "My field of research is not just about the physical variants of Pokemon inhabiting different regions around the world. I also study their ethology too. It is in their nature to fight. I wrote papers about it!"

Naruto folded his arms, plopped down on his seat, and arched a brow. "Whatever floats your boat."

"You don't look satisfied."

He shrugged. "Maybe you can coexist with these things without – I don't know – catch them and make them fight battles for you?"

The beautiful professor shook her head. "You don't need to see things so grimly, Naruto-san. I can assure you, Pokemon are not tools for war."

Naruto snorted. How dense and naïve can Philena be for her to say something as irresponsible as that? Three great forces ruled the world: stupidity, fear and greed. No matter how much Naruto hates to admit it, war is as ancient as human nature. These monsters – Pokemon, whatever they were called – were basically wildlife on steroids that could potentially raze a forest to the ground or raise a tsunami.

Worst of all, most of them had frightening attributes! Wasps that stood half as tall as a human. Rocks that could self-destruct. Slugs that were hot as the sun. Ghosts that pranked people with nightmares. Balloons that kidnapped children. Giant Venus Flytraps with stomach acid that could melt steel beams. Praying mantis that had scythes for arms. Yada, yada. The list went on and on. It's a miracle how the humans in this dystopian universe hadn't gone extinct yet.

"Let me get this straight." Naruto cleared his throat. "Ten year olds are allowed to catch these Pokemon for battles and nobody bats an eye?"

"It is encouraged, actually." Philena smiled weakly.

"Are you even hearing yourself? Who in the right mind thinks that sending kids into a forest filled with man-eating monsters is a great idea?"

It wasn't hypocritical of Naruto to criticise that logic. He was trained to be a lethal assassin when he was a mere child. Those 'aspiring' trainers were not mentally and physically prepare to roam dangerous forests! Not to mention, those ten year olds were qualified to catch Pokemon unsupervised and force those poor things to participate in glorified cockfighting. Did their parents want to breed sociopaths? Because that's how you breed socipaths!

From what Naruto had seen, Pokemon felt just as much pain, remorse, guilt, and sorrow as humans would, which means these creatures had intellect and emotions to make sense of things. How could this madhouse of a world find it morally acceptable to let kids subjugate Pokemon of mass destruction to their will?

Naruto nursed his throbbing forehead and heaved out a heavy sigh. "So, with a straight face, you are telling me how star-spangled awesome this world is and that humanity has not weaponised these Pokemon yet?"

The professor swallowed. "Well…"

"Well?"

"It's not that simple. A century ago, the Great Pokemon War wiped out half of humanity. We learned our lessons since then." Philena grimaced. "Yes, humans did weaponise Pokemon. Crime syndicates and terrorist groups have been trying to harness the power of Legendary Pokemon since Arceus knows how long, but we are not ignorant. We know how terrible wars are and we don't talk about it. We move on."

That was too much for Naruto to take in. _"This is way out of our league, Kurama."_

 _ **"She is out of your league, Naruto."**_

Naruto couldn't help but stare at her well-endowed… assets. It was mesmerising how _it_ jiggled when she moved. A swimsuit model's physique, salt of the earth, and self-possessed, she's a complete package, if he chose to turn a blind eye to her lack of tidiness. Her house was akin to a dumpster, a major turn-off for Naruto to be honest.

He shook his head to clear away perverse thoughts. _"There are bigger things to worry about than her magnificent boobs, Kurama!"  
_  
 _ **"I'm not the one fantasising about her boobs."**_

Naruto groaned inwardly. _"What do think about this world?"_

 _ **"Not as fuck up as ours, but still fuck up nonetheless. Nothing we can't handle though."**_  
 _  
"Do you think we can get back to our world?"  
_  
 _ **"Possible. These… Pokemon possess inconceivable powers. I won't be surprise if some of them could manipulate space and time. Perhaps there are such Pokemon that can do that. If we want to get back to our godforsaken world, I suggest we find clues about it."**_

Naruto glanced up and caught the professor staring at him. She looked away with a flustered face and stirred her coffee furiously. "Professor Ivy -"

"Philena." She interjected and tucked a lock of violet hair behind her ear. "Please just call me Philena."

"Right, Philena. Do you know any Pokemon that can manipulate space and time?"

She tapped her jaw in contemplation, intrigued by the nature of the question. "What makes you think there are Pokemon that can do that?"

"Well, you have a friggin' dragon that lives in your swimming pool."

"It's a Gyarados. And it's not a dragon."

Naruto looked incredulously at Philena. "Then what the hell is that? An oversized snake?"

"Uhh…"

"Never mind! My point is… if Pokemon can manipulate the elements, then I bet there are Pokemon that can bend space and time, no?"

Philena nodded slowly. "You are correct. Dialga and Palkia."

"Dialga and Palkia?" Naruto repeated the words with confusion marred on his face. "What's that?"

"They are the Legendary Dragons that rule over time and space. Although I have not seen them myself, it is recorded that they appear frequently in the Sinnoh region. However, there are no credible data that could pinpoint their locations."

"So, if I want to return to my world, my best bet is to travel to Shino?"

"Sinnoh." Philena corrected. "And are you sure you're not using metaphors to describe where you come from? Perhaps you're from Kanto or something. Surely you must have hit your head or started hallucinating about an alternative dimension. Do you, by any chance, have amnesia?"

"I'm not a mental case! I know what I'm doing."

Philena looked unconvinced. "Then why are you so defensive all of a sudden?"

 _ **"She has a point. Why are you defensive? Are you secretly insane?"**_

"I'm not insane, Kurama!" Naruto bellowed, much to Philena shock.

"K-Kurama?" The professor darted her gaze frantically around the house, certifying that they were the only occupants. There was no Kurama and that freaked her out. "A-Are you talking to someone else?"

He realised he had unintentionally spooked the professor and raised his hands in a surrender notion. "Look, Kurama is just a demon fox inside my gut -"

Philena was sweating profusely and trepidation was making her blood run cold.

It was then Naruto heard himself. Of course he sounded like a lunatic. Scratching the back of his scalp sheepishly, Naruto smiled weakly at Philena. "Just forget what I said. I need to go to Sinnoh and find Dialga and Palkia. My world is in grave danger. I need to go back! Please, Philena, you got to help me."

Yes, she had to help him. This poor, deluded man was suffering not just from delirium, but severe schizophrenia too.

"Why don't you sit back and enjoy your tea. I'll go make some arrangement." Philena mustered a small smile and scrambled into the bowel of her laboratory. She was going to give a psychiatric hospital a call and make sure Naruto receives the treatment he so desperately needs.

Oblivious to his imminent predicament, Naruto was grinning with mirth. _"Did you hear that, Kurama? I have found ourselves a way back to our world."_

 _ **"I won't be so sure about that."**_

The blond raised a brow. _"What makes you say that?"_

 _ **"She reeks of fear."**_

 _"Yeah, so?"_

 _ **"So? I think she is not going to give us directions to Sinnoh. We should leave while we still have the chance."**_

An ungodly earthquake struck, throwing the blond off his bearings. With profound dexterity, Naruto did a backflip and landed on his feet, unfazed by the disastrous tremors that were wrecking the entire Orange Archipelago. Unfortunately for Philena, she didn't receive training like Naruto did and fell flat on her back. Naruto heard her cry of agony and darted into her lab.

"Philena, you okay?" He scooped the professor up, one hand behind her back and the other under her knees. Like Prince Charming, Naruto's eyes that was sparkling with concern managed to enthral Philena's heart.

"I-I'm fine." She caught a glimpse of her monitors and gasped. "P-Put me down! I need to see this!"

Naruto did as he was told and let Philena gently down. She wore her spectacles and scanned through the cornucopia of data sent to her computers. "T-This is insane! This shouldn't be happening!"

"What shouldn't be happening?"

"The region's temperature level, humidity, atmospheric pressure, and all its meteorological variables are going haywire! The last time something drastic like this happened, the Legendary Birds were at war with each other."

Naruto was still bemused. "Legendary birds? War? What? Speak English."

Philena glowered at the blond. "I'm talking about the titans of the elements, Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres."

The blond deadpanned. "You said it like it's supposed to mean something."

"Of course they mean something!" Philena was seething; this man was impossible! "Articuno is the master of ice and snow. It can summon a snowstorm and bring about everlasting winter! Do you have any idea how screw up our planet's geographical poles gets when Articuno does that? Moltres is the incarnation of the sun, its presence creates drought and dries out wetlands. You can't possible fathom how many crops are ruined each year because of Moltres! Zapdos is storm itself. Wherever it goes, it heralds thunder, rain and floods!"

Naruto did a sturgeon face. "Sounds like someone needs to punch them in the face and make them pay for collateral."

Philena gritted her teeth. "You don't understand. They are Legendary Pokemon. Their strength is beyond our comprehension. An ordinary Pokemon would be no match against their combined might."

"Then you are just going to let them do whatever they want?"

"W-We… we can't do anything except praying for a miracle." Philena reached for her phone and dialled a few numbers. "I need to contact my peers and validate the data. If Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos are on a rampage, we have to evacuate this island immediately."

"Don't bother." Naruto looked out of the window and spotted three flying creatures in the distance wrecking chaos upon the sea. "Are those things the legendary birds you're referring to?"

Philena followed Naruto's gaze, only to be horrified by the sight of the destruction incarnates: Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos. She bolted out of her house and was hit by strong gales. If it wasn't for Naruto holding her shoulders, she would have tumbled clumsily to the asphalt. "T-This is impossible! How could my computers not detect their awakening? And the mass migration of all these Pokemon! Arceus have mercy!"

Terrestrial, aquatic and avian Pokemon from the Kanto region had gathered all over the Archipelago, witnessing restlessly and fearfully at the epic battle, an ominous sign of the looming apocalypse. Everything was happening too fast for the professor to process. Zapdos had brought down a hurricane, Articuno was raising a blizzard, and Moltres was engulfing everything in its raging inferno.

"W-We're doomed." Philena sank to her knees. Even if she had called for evacuation, it would take the rescue helicopter twenty minutes to arrive. Judging by the calamity that was unfolding before her, she didn't have twenty minutes to spare.

"Alright, I think this is my cue." Naruto stretched his limbs and cracked his knuckles.

A crestfallen Philena didn't hear the dauntless proclamation made by Naruto.

"Philena."

She was still in a trance, unable to register the direness of her reality.

"Oi! Philena!"

"W-What?"

"The problem is not a problem." Naruto smirked. "The problem is your attitude towards the problem."

She blinked, twice. "Huh?"

"After I beat those oversized turkeys, you're gonna tell me how to get to Sinnoh."

"What are you -"

Like a miracle, Naruto was encompassed by an ethereal cloak of brilliant effulgence. In a flash, he had soared to the dark sky like a shooting star, startling Philena. Her jaws went unhinged as she watched the blond broke the sound barriers, travelling beyond Mach 5. In the blink of an eye, he had reached the epicentre of a chaotic battle between three aggravated beasts.

Moltres didn't see it coming. Without hesitation, Naruto delivered a punch across Moltres's face with sheer herculean might that the impact propelled the bird of fire into a faraway mountain, effectively knocking it out cold. Articuno and Zapdos yelped in consternation and flew in circles around the enigmatic blond, who was levitating in the air. "One down, two more to go. Who's next?"

An infuriated Articuno let out an ear-piercing screech before it fired a beam of ice at the aloof blond. It expected its attack to hit its meddling adversary and encased him in a block of ice, but much to its chagrin and confusion, its target became a log. Articuno scanned its vicinity frantically, but it was too late. "Up here, bitch. Rasenshuriken!"

Articuno glanced up and was struck by a sphere of raw power. The devastating assault exploded in its face, inflicting thousands of cuts on its body. Articuno shrieked in pain and crashed into a colossal glacier. Zapdos was frightened by the surreal display of power. No human, in its knowledge, could beat Legendary Pokemon such as them with their bare hands.

Naruto turned to Zapdos, his murderous intent sent shivers crawling up the bird's spine. "You're next, asshole."

With great fortitude and temerity, Zapdos unleashed lightning that devoured everything in its warpath. Thunderstorms of catastrophic proportions were tearing the world asunder, generating a gargantuan supercell that threatened to level islands. Naruto gazed at the phenomenon with awe, astonished that Pokemon was capable of such feat. "But, at the end of the day, you're just an oversized turkey that needs to be put in check."

Naruto blitzed across the sky like lightning and appeared before Zapdos, his reared fist was fuelled with transcendental power. "I don't know what your problem is, but your temper tantrum is making a big mess. Night night, bitch."

A fist to the gut, a kick to the face, and a punch to the stomach were enough to throw Zapdos off its high horse and knock its light out. With Zapdos defeated, the black clouds were dispersed, allowing sunrays to warm the earth once again. Philena's jaw was still hanging in disbelief. A mere man had managed to quench the umbrage of the bloodthirsty birds without the use of Pokemon. "I-Impossible…"

It was a mind-boggling sight to see a man strolling with a swagger on the surface of the ocean, whistling a jovial tune, and hoisting the unconscious bodies of Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos over his shoulder. He had discarded his charred jacket, no thanks to Zapdos and its lightning discharge. Philena was dumbfounded and awestruck by the might of Naruto that she didn't realise he was half-naked.

"I need new clothes. You happen to have an extra shirt for me to wear?"

"H-How?" She was gaping like a Magikarp.

Naruto blinked. "What? Something on my face?"

"Did you just take down the Legendary Birds? By yourself?"

"Yeah?" He responded like answering a question about the weather. "What's so wrong about that? I told you I'm a ninja. Wrestling with monsters is regular Tuesday for me."

"This is too much for me to handle."

"That's what she said." Naruto snickered, much to the professor's annoyance.

"At any rate, let's bring Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos into my lab. They need medical attention."

X-o-X-o-X-

Philena never thought the day would come when she sees the mighty Legendary Birds quaver before the sight of a mere man, granted said man did beat them black and blue. If it wasn't for their unparalleled durability, they would have suffered irreparable damages that might render them unable to fly for the rest of their miserable lives. The incorrigible Naruto had the gall to laugh at their plight.

"Please be considerate, Naruto-san." The professor chided. "They deserve better."

"They deserve to get their ass handed to them for being a bunch of punk-ass bitches." Naruto turned to the sneering birds and tilted his chin. "What are ya looking at? Want another go?"

The ill-tempered Moltres flapped its wings and growled, flames were expelled from its nares.

"Just because you can burn the world down, doesn't mean you should do it. People like Philena don't want to be harsh on you, but that's just euphemism. You and your pals have a beef with each other and couldn't take your fight somewhere else. And then what? You just jumpstart the whole end-of-the-world fiasco because nobody tells you not to? You think you can do whatever you want without facing the consequences? There is always consequences!"

Moltres scoffed haughtily, wrath and hate were burning in its eyes as it glared at Naruto. While Articuno and Zapdos were beauty and strength personified, Moltres was the epitome of raw passion and elegance, a Pokemon that was proud of its formidable powers and had no tolerance for insolence.

"I know you understood me." A sinister grin played about Naruto's lips. Articuno and Zapdos gulped, but Moltres was still in defiant. It was not going to back down from a lowly mortal. "You're smart, but not lucky enough. News flash! There is a new Alpha in town and that ain't you anymore, fire turkey!"

The verbal jab peeved Moltres. It didn't know what turkey meant, but it was not going to let the insult slide. In the midst of its untamed fury, Moltres charged blindly at Naruto, much to Philena's horror. Bad mistake on Moltres's part. It was brash and overconfident of its strength, which cemented its downfall. Naruto vanished into a static blur, mortifying the fire Pokemon.

Swiftly, Naruto snaked an arm around Moltres's neck, pinned it to the unforgiving floor, and kept it in an unbreakable stranglehold. Moltres writhed beneath Naruto, a futile attempt to free itself. The more it struggled, the more its captor tightened his grip around its neck. "Are you done yet? Still think you're superior? Let this be a lesson to you. I am your consequence!"

Moltres shrieked, but Naruto did something that bewilder the Legendary Pokemon. He was healing its injury with his glowing hand, his gaze was softened and his voice became calm. "You got a lot of fight in you, fire turkey. Maybe you have a good heart too. But your pent-up rage is costing you. I'll take a wild guess and say that you're the one who started the fight with blue bird and thunder chicken over there, no?"

Articuno and Zapdos snorted.

"You need to learn how to channel your rage." Moltres remained still, allowing Naruto to heal its wounds. It looked away, but the blond knew it was paying rapt attention to him. "Maybe you might get stronger if you learn to do so. You can do some good if you want to. Don't be what you are born to be."

There were no words left to express Philena's stagger. Not only did Naruto manage to subdue the impulsive Moltres, but the prideful Pokemon was actually showing respect for the blond. It was truly a sight to behold. As for Naruto's prowess, she was done questioning it. The man had too much up his sleeves for the professor to comprehend.

"Alright, all done." Naruto wrestled himself to a standing position and strolled towards Philena, oblivious to how Moltres was staring at him with newfound admiration sparkling in its eyes.

X-o-X-o-X-

A week was ample time for Naruto to learn more about a world that thrived with paranormal creatures. Somehow, Moltres had developed an unhealthy fascination with the blond. It snuck glances at him when he was having his meal, stalked him when he was taking a shower, and became a bag of nerves when he was exercising shirtless under the hot sun.

"Don't you think Moltres is acting strangely around you, Naruto-san?" Philena shot Naruto a worried look, who was eating a bowl of ramen without a care in the world.

While Articuno and Zapdos had ventured home, Moltres chose to remain in Valencia Island, specifically in Philena's humble abode. Speaking of the devil, Moltres had ambled into the dining room, its eyes lit up when it saw Naruto. With jaunty steps, Moltres walked towards Naruto and preened his shirt collar, a sign of affection that avian Pokemon tends to showcase.

"Strangely?" Naruto petted the back of Moltres's head, much to its delight. It was crooning in glee from his touch, something that caught Philena's attention. "How?"

"I think it likes you."

Naruto snickered. "What is there not to like? Every molecule in my being is awesome. That's why I'm so awesome."

Philena rolled her eyes. "I think it wants you to be its trainer."

At that, Moltres perked up.

The blond finished the meat broth from his ramen, let out a sigh of content, and leaned into his seat. "Pokemon trainer? Ain't nobody got time for that. I'm not gonna camouflage myself, hide in a swamp, and go 'quack quack' for three hours straight just so I could catch myself a Ducklett. Do I look like a lowlife prick to you?"

"A Pokemon trainer doesn't necessarily need to catch Pokemon." The professor argued, "I believe Moltres wants you to teach it how to be stronger. By the way, we might have to refer to Moltres as a 'she' from now on."

It was a ground-breaking discovery for the professor. Legendary Pokemon might potentially have genders. It was almost impossible to capture one, lest study them, so the academia could only hypothesise that such mythical creatures reproduce asexually. Imagine how amazed the Pokemon community would be if such earth-shattering news got exposed to the public.

According to Philena's analysis, Zapdos was most likely a male, because it was very vocal, had a pronounced cere, and grew spectacularly bright plumage. On the other hand, Articuno and Moltres exhibited sexual dimorphism of the female sex.

"I don't have time for that." Naruto's declaration made Moltres deflated. "Let me make this clear. I condemn the notion of using Pokemon to fight my battles. If someone wants a piece of me, then I'll use my fist to do the talking. If my fist can't solve the problem, then I'll use words. Either way, there is no version of this where I let a fifteen inch yellow rodent fight for my honour. Do you know how ludicrous it is?"

"This is how this world works, Naruto-san." Philena protested.

"Doesn't mean I have to condone it." Naruto responded frostily. "If the norm of this world dictates that I should sell my children to slavery, am I morally obligated to do so? It may sound nonsensical to you, but I beg to differ."

Philena sighed. "Reject it all you want, but one day, you'll realise that this is how this world functions. The sooner you accept it, the better. Moltres is seeking for a strong trainer like you. The average Joes wouldn't be able to keep up with her, but you can. Unlike Articuno and Zapdos who are satisfied for being what they are, I think Moltres wants to be more than just a guardian of an island."

Naruto sighed and shifted his attention to a despondent Moltres, whose sight was downcast. He stroked her beak and got her to look at him. "Look, I don't belong in this world. Once I find Dialga and Palkia, I'm gonna make them transport me back to my universe."

Moltres let out a dejected wail.

"I'm not gonna lead you on or anything, Moltres. I don't intend to stay in this world." Naruto chuckled at how absurd his dilemma was. "Hell, I don't even know how long I'm gonna be around! I might find Dialga and Palkia next week!"

Enough was enough. Philena had it with Naruto dashing cold water on poor Moltres. "If you think things are going to go your way, then you're either incredibly naïve or incredibly stupid."

Naruto furrowed his brows. "Hey!"

"What makes you think you'll find Dialga and Palkia? Huh? Better men have tried and failed. The data about Dialga and Palkia being spotted in Sinnoh was dated a few decades ago! Don't you get it?" Philena raked a hand through her hair to vent out her anger. "The chance of you encountering Dialga and Palkia is slim! Okay, let's just say you did find them, then what? Do you really think they will do your bidding? Dialga and Palkia come from legends! They're basically gods!"

That last statement tickled Naruto's funny bone. Gods? He fought against the likes of Madara and Kaguya. Don't get him started with creepy-ass Kabuto and faggoty Orochimaru; Boogeyman had to check his closet for those self-loathing pieces of shit before he went to bed. If Naruto could beat revered Pokemon like Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos without breaking a sweat, then how hard could it be for him to kick Dialga and Palkia's asses if push comes to shove?

"How about this?" Philena harrumphed. "You bring Moltres along with you. She gets to protect you and keep you company. You get to train her and make her stronger. It's a win-win."

Naruto scratched his temples, musing deeply in thought.

Moltres chirped, nuzzling the blond.

"I definitely don't need your protection and I can't guarantee that I can make you stronger, Moltres. Even so, do you still want to tag along?"

The bird of fire and passion nodded.

"Alright then." Naruto thrust out his bandaged fist. "Hit it."

Tilting its head, Moltres studied Naruto's fist with aroused curiosity.

"It's a sign of our friendship. Let's do a fist bump!"

Philena cocked a brow, not sure how to make do with this situation.

After an awkward silence intruded, Moltres raised her foot, balled her digits, and gently tapped Naruto's fist.

The world was never going to be the same again.

X-o-X-o-X-

"I can't thank you enough, Philena." Naruto suddenly pulled Philena to a warm hug, much to the professor's bliss and embarrassment. Interacting with a feely-touchy social butterfly who knew little about personal space was still foreign to her, but it was a pleasant experience nonetheless. Granted, Naruto was still an anomaly who despised Pokemon battles, a trait that made him charming and vexing at the same time.

"No sweat." Philena chuckled as the blond pulled away. "Here, I want you to have this."

Naruto arched a brow at the black orb in Philena's grasp. "What's this?"

"This is a Luxury Ball, a variant of the Pokeball. You will need it for Moltres."

"Wait a minute! Hold up! You want me to seal Moltres into this ball? I ain't doing that. The bird can have all the freedom she wants!"

"Don't be stubborn!" Philena reprimanded. "There are places where you may not be able to bring Moltres along with you. Besides, Moltres's presence can potentially dry up places. You don't want Moltres to unintentionally cause desertification and erosion. We're talking about shortage of water supply, famine, wildfire, and dust storms. That's how powerful Moltres is. Please, take this Luxury Ball with you."

Naruto sighed and took the ball, an impish smile found its way to his lips. "Fine, I'll take it, but that's because you want me to."

Philena averted her gaze. "Don't say stupid stuff like that. J-Just go on. The ship is not going to wait for you."

She managed to pull in some favours and got help from Drake, a world renowned trainer who had an affinity for dragons. In a stroke of luck, Drake was cruising in the Orange Archipelago after receiving news that the Legendary Birds were causing a ruckus. Knowing Drake well, Philena bet the crusty old man wanted to test the strength of his dragon Pokemon against Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos.

"Ho, Ho!" Drake dropped a hand on Naruto's shoulder, a gesture that was very much unappreciated by the blond. "What do we have here? I thought you wanted me to deliver some precious cargo for you, Ivy. Turns out, it's your boyfriend you want me to send away."

"Naruto-san is not my boyfriend, you senile old fart!"

"Ho, ho! Rude as ever." Drake grinned. "Do you reckon the reason why you haven't landed a beau is because of your domineering attitude? Your father would be so disappointed in you."

"My father would have smacked you in the face for neglecting your duty as my uncle!"

"And you grew up to be an esteem Pokemon Professor without me!" Drake chortled heartily. "I guess that's kudos for me? Ha, ha!"

It was then Drake spotted Moltres standing behind Naruto and his eyes widened like saucer. He pointed a shaky finger at the flame Pokemon, a glint of childish and manic joy flashed across his eyes. "Is that what I think it is?"

Philena sighed. "Yes, it's -"

"IT'S A GODDAMN MOLTRES! I'M GONNA GET MY SALAMENCE TO SKEWER IT ALIVE, FEED IT TO MY SHELGON, AND MOUNT ITS HEAD IN MY BEDROOM! AH! MY ERECTION CAN ONLY GET SO HARD!" Drake hastily slapped a hand over his mouth and stared fearfully at a very disturbed Naruto and an unamused Philena. He regained his composure and coughed. "Ha, ha! Sorry about that. I tend to blurt out things whenever I get excited."

"Okay…" Naruto blinked slowly, took a cautious step away from the unstable man, and turned to Philena. "I don't think boarding his ship is a good idea."

"Don't worry about it." Philena waved a dismissive hand. "He may be eccentric, but he has a good heart. He is not that type of guy who will sneak into your bedroom at 2AM in the morning, sing a sailor song, play his pastoral pipes, and bawl his eyes out for two hours straight."

"The fact that you went on great length to describe something that he might not do does not reassure me whatsoever."

"Look." Philena's face turned solemn. "You have no idea how to get to Sinnoh. Drake is the only man I know who knows the sea more than anybody else. Now, he may be weird, but he can bring you there. You just need to put up with his shit for a few days and you'll get what you want."

Drake draped his hands over Naruto and Philena's shoulders, interrupting their conversation. Naruto winced at Drake's pungent breath, which smelled like cheap alcohol – that explains so much. "I ain't gonna bring him to Sinnoh without some incentives."

"Incentives?" Philena was furious, her eyes were blazing with betrayal. "We had a deal!"

"What can I say?" Drake dug his nose with his pinkie. "Gotta put food on the table, baby girl."

The professor growled. "Fine! What do you want?"

A wide, toothy grin tugged at Drake's mouth as he pointed at Moltres. "Yeah! Me and you! All day! Just me! On the ship! Don't hold me back! Balls in my waist! Not a game! By myself! Pokemon ready! Let's do this shit!"

Naruto knew Drake was riled up because the intoxicated ship captain was doing a tribal dance before a very confused Moltres.

"No thank you." The blond declined crudely. "I don't think Moltres is interested. I think I'll find my own way to Sinnoh."

"You perverted cocksucker!" Drake shrieked, shocking Naruto. The derogatory and gratuitous accusation caught the blond off guard. "How could a strong trainer like you back down from a battle? A battle between men! What are you? A sissy?"

In Naruto's dictionary, a battle between men usually involved fire and brimstone, awesome explosions, flattened mountains, angry war cries, and an all-out fight to the death situation, not pitting two animals in combat. "Oi! Take that back!"

Philena slapped her forehead; this wasn't going to turn out well.

"Sissy! Sissy! This pansy-ass boy is a sissy~!" Drake sang provocatively, earning him the ire of Naruto.

"I'm gonna shove my fist up where the sun doesn't shine and make you grovel before me!" Naruto grunted, his bottom eyelid twitched vigorously. If Drake wasn't Philena's uncle, he would have beaten the living daylight out of the drunkard.

"That's rich, coming from a sissy who doesn't dare to fight me!"

"I'll fight you alright!"

Hook, line, and sinker! Drake grinned with triumph and let out a guffaw. "Then it's settled! Your Moltres! My Salamence! One round! The old fashioned way! First Pokemon to get knock down loses!"

"Who the hell said I'm gonna get Moltres to fight for me?" The blond rolled up his sleeves and waved a threatening fist at the ship captain.

"That's the rule, gay-boy!" Drake's obnoxious and witty retort was getting under Naruto's skin.

Philena stepped in before things escalated beyond hope. With a placid and calm demeanour, she gave the blond a stern gaze and placed a hand on his muscular chest. "Naruto, it's time for you to accept how things run in this world. Do it. Accept Drake's challenge."

"What?"

"Look at Moltres!" Philena argued, "She's itching for a fight. Can't you tell?"

Bloodlust was painted on Moltres's features. Her pupils were dilated, her fiery wings flared, and her head raised; those were signs of aggression. Moltres shared the same sentiment as her master; she wanted to shut Drake up and assert her dominance. The majestic fire Pokemon turned to Naruto and cawed, eager to face adversity head on. There was no stopping Moltres from laying the smack down on Drake's Pokemon.

"That's the spirit!" Drake laughed aloud. "Show them who the boss is, Salamence!"

When Salamence emerged, it carried itself with an air of arrogance, as if it was invincible and untouchable. The high and mighty dragon regarded its opponent with cold disdain and that got Moltres pissed. How dare Salamence stared at her condescendingly? Not even Articuno or Zapdos dared roll their eyes before her! Moltres immediately concluded two things: Salamence was being a smug bitch and it was in need of a serious ass-whooping.

"Give Moltres instruction, Naruto!" Philena ushered.

"Instructions? How the hell do you want me to give her instructions when I know nothing about Pokemon battles! Just let her do her own thing!"

"Screw this!" Philena took a bold step forward. "Moltres, use -"

Moltres roared with vehemence.

Drake clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Butt out, Ivy! Moltres ain't gonna take orders from you! Her master is the pasty-ass sissy standing over there, not you!"

Naruto balled his fists; the guy was good at pushing his buttons. Philena backed down, knowing Drake was right. A dominant Pokemon like Moltres wouldn't obey her command. She didn't earn her right to command such an exquisite and strong Pokemon. She could only hope Naruto knows what he was doing. A fistfight and a Pokemon battle were two different things.

"Alright, Salamence! Make Moltres your bitch! Give her a nice flamethrower and toast her ass real crispy!" Salamence spew out a blast of hot fire, intending to incinerate its target.

Inside Naruto's mind, he already formulated countless simulations that would allow him to beat the dragon. Deploy Kage Bunshin as decoy, get Salamence distracted, strong jab to the face, dislocate its jaw, elbow to its back, fracture its ribs to cause internal haemorrhaging, and finish it for good with a Rasengan to its neck. That's what he would do, because he knew what he was capable of.

In Moltres's context, he knew nothing about her. He didn't know how fast she could fly. He didn't know how durable she could last. Hell, he didn't even know what arsenal of techniques she possessed. Those were red lights in the art of war! Never jump into battle without knowing thyself!

"Don't just stand there, Moltres! Fly and dodge it!" Moltres took off blazing to the sky and avoided the fireball, but the onslaught hadn't stopped yet. Salamence spouted a sea of terrific red flames in the air, the intensity of the heat was scorching the atmosphere.

"Moltres, avoid the fire and maintain your distance!"

Moltres was nimble as a feather, evading the assault effortlessly and whirling above the dragon. She was the living incarnation of fire itself; a mere fireball was not going to do her in. She had to give the egotistic dragon a lesson on humility.

"Now! Sweep down and let that overgrown lizard tastes its own medicine! Kick its butt!"

Moltres dove down with immense speed, her rage empowered her as she belched forth searing scarlet flames.

Drake had anticipated Moltres's moves. In fact, he was counting on it. "Rookie mistake! Salamence, show them what you're made of. Dragon rush!"

Azure energy enwrapped Salamence, fusing it with tremendous power. Without hesitation, the fearless dragon lunged itself towards danger, unfazed by the lick of the monstrous flames. Like a spear, Salamence pierced through fire unscathed and smashed itself brutally against Moltres, startling Naruto in the process. She withstood the brunt of that devastating assault, but it didn't come without cost.

Moltres was discombobulated, her ears were ringing and her vision jarred. She shook her head, trying desperately to recover her senses.

Drake snickered. "Hey, sissy! I'll throw this in. If you beat me, not only will I bring you to Sinnoh, I'll pay for your accommodation and meals. Hell, I'll even pay for your strippers! Knock yourself out good, will ya?"

While Drake was mouthing off, thousands of strategy were connived in Naruto's head. Salamence proved to be strong, so the only plausible way of taking down the damn dragon was to starve him out of energy. Judging by the dragon's weight, it would tire itself out if the battle was prolonged. This all came down to timing.

"I have no idea how an amateur like you manage to capture Moltres, but one thing is for sure!" Drake exclaimed. "You don't know jack-squat about the bond between Pokemon and its trainer! A fool like you who don't even have faith in the strength of your Pokemon will amount to nothing!"

"You talk a lot of smack for a fuck-tard!" Naruto turned to Moltres and shouted. "Moltres, you okay?"

The firebird grunted. She was still dizzy, but the taunting look on Salamence's face only made her want to rip its tight-ass a new one!

"Good. I need you to trust me now." Philena noticed the air around Naruto became heavy when his demeanour changed, his powerful eyes were gleaming with insurmountable confidence. "Do as I say. Cast off your fear! Do not hesitate! Hesitate means defeat! Defeat means death! Listen to my command!"

She nodded, her eyes burning with conviction.

"Good. Now, keep flying around the dragon. Attack only when I said so."

"You think I don't know what scheme you're cooking up? I won't let you! Salamence, finish that Moltres off with dragon rush!"

Salamence's thunderous roar shook the ship as it soared into the air, its body blazed with fury.

"Keep flying and don't let up!"

It became a wild goose chase. Every time Salamence catch up to its opponent, she would manoeuvre gracefully her way out of his crosshair. The dragon was relentless, but so did the firebird. It became a battle of endurance; whoever allowed fatigue to overwhelm their senses would be annihilated. Salamence was getting irritated and anxious, if his sloppiness was anything to go by.

"Now!" Naruto barked.

Acting on instinct, Moltres launched herself towards Salamence like a deadly missile, smashing into the dragon's side. The blindsided Salamence cried out in pain as it sailed across the battlefield like a ragdoll and fell into the ocean. The stunned Drake stared agape at Naruto in disbelief, his trembling finger pointed at the elated blond. "That was a lucky shot! Moltres ain't got what it takes to beat Salamence!"

"I'm hearing a lot of this." Naruto's fingers and thumb snapped together repeatedly, imitating a mouth-talking gesture. And then they stopped snapping. "And I want to hear this."

"You little shit! I -" Drake clutched his chest and stared blankly at Naruto. "I forgot to take my pills this morning and now I'm having a heart attack."

Just like that, Drake fell flat on his face, his body convulsing ever so slightly.

Naruto scratched the back of his head, turned to a horrified Philena, and pointed laxly at Drake's twitching form. "So… is this the part where I steal his ship and find my way to Sinnoh or should I give this asshole a few kicks just to make sure he isn't faking a heart attack?"

X-o-X-o-X-

 **Author Note: I hope this story is as epic as I envisioned. Now the real question comes: which Pokemon are going to join Naruto? I have a few options in mind, but there are 800 Pokemon out there. Hence, I would like to ask my readers for advice regarding the choices of Pokemon for Naruto. As of now, I'm thinking Lucario and Zoroark. If you have any suggestions, please do let me know and tell me why.**

Pairings:  
1.) NarutoXCynthia  
2.) NarutoXLorelei  
3.) NarutoXSabrina  
4.) NarutoXSuggestion

Leave a review and let me know how you feel :D


	2. Fight Club

"Do something!" Philena yelled out indignantly, her hands waving frantically at Drake's motionless body.

"The asshole got it coming for him!" Naruto studied his nails, ignoring the incredulous looks Philena was shooting at him. "Don't look at me like that. I'm not your classic superhero archetype. I am a man with issues. Lots and lots of issues. I dispose assholes for a living, not save them. Granted, my best friend was an asshole and I saved him, but that's beside the point! I'm a walking mass of fuck up hypocrisy! Bottom line: I am not obligated to save him."

"You can't do this!" Panic and fear were overwhelming Philena as she hit an aloof Naruto's chest. "You said it yourself! Your best friend was an asshole and you saved him! If you can do it for him, you can do it for Drake!"

"You said it yourself too. My best friend is my best friend, but do you know I say goodbye to him every time I flush the toilet? He's a grade A piece of shit – no lie – but we went to school together, so the sentimental value of our screw-up friendship prevents me from vaporising his ignorant tight-ass." Naruto argued, his face betrayed no emotions. "That doofus dying over there is a stranger to me. For all I know, he could be a drug addict who sucks dick for money."

"He is my uncle, you jerk!" Tears were streaming down Philena's cheek. This emotional roller-coaster was taking a toll on her psyche and Naruto wasn't making it easy for her. Truth be told, the notion of being alone in a vast and cruel world terrified her. "He is the only family I got left. He may be an asshole, but at least he sends a postcard to me on my birthday every year!"

Naruto groaned in annoyance. If there was one thing he loathed more than a ramen joint that prioritised fancy side dishes over ramen itself, it would be the sight of a beautiful and kind woman crying before him. "Fine! I'll do -"

Out of nowhere, a flamboyant man with a cape emerged from the ship's cabin, flexing his biceps and making dramatic poses that only made Naruto further questions his sanity. "Have no fear, bitches! Lance is here to save the day!"

"Lance!" Philena's eyes lit up. "You're here!"

"Mah man! How long has it been since I see your pretty-ass face, bitch?"

Naruto wasn't impressed. "He says bitch like he's saying hello."

"Lance, you know how to save my uncle?"

"I'mma show you my magic!" Lance flashed his teeth with a smirk, rummaged about his jacket's pocket, and took out a syringe. Nobody was sure if Lance was even medically licensed to give injection, but his overzealous grin erased Philena's doubts. Lance plunged the needle into Drake's chest and things worked out for the best. Drake woke up with cold sweats, groaning aloud like a constipated Machoke.

Naruto turned to Philena and deadpanned. "That ain't magic. He just took your uncle's medicine and gave it to him. How is that magic?"

"I don't want to hear this from you, Naruto-san! At least I don't need to bargain with Lance to save my uncle!"

"Whoa! Is that a Moltres?" Lance burst in joy, stood up groggily, and adjusted his pants. The perverse vibe that Lance emanated compelled even a powerful Pokemon such as Moltres to hide behind her master. "Seeing a Legendary Pokemon always gives me a semi."

Fifty shades of disgust wasn't even a good enough statement to describe what Naruto was going through. _"I hope not every Tom, Dick, and Harry in this world are weird as fuck."_

 _ **"I will pay top dollar to meet the weirdest motherfucker in this planet."**_

 _"For what?"_

Kurama only snickered.

"Did you catch this Moltres, bitch?" Lance grinned and stood unbearably close to Naruto. "Let's make a deal. You beat me and I'll hand you all of my Pokemon. They're big, strong dragons, ye know what I'm saying? I train those motherfuckers myself to compete in the Pokemon League! If I win, you give me your Moltres. Sounds like a good deal, yeah? What do you say, hillbilly bitch? Let's battle!"

Naruto blinked, his voice monotonous. "Can't you see the 'fuck you' written on my face?"

"Hey!" Lance jabbed a finger at Naruto's chest, much to Philena's consternation. The hot-headed dragon trainer had no idea who or what he was dealing with; the blond could eat Legendary Pokemon for breakfast. Hell, he tamed Moltres – a force of nature – on a whim! "When a trainer looks you in the eyes and demands a challenge, you don't say no, dipshit!"

"I'm sorry." Naruto flailed a hand near his ear and scowled. "I see your lips moving and I hear noises coming out from your mouth but I can't understand a single word you're saying because I don't speak little bitch."

Lance gasped, floundering for a comeback.

"Please don't antagonise Lance anymore, Naruto-san." Philena squatted down beside Drake to check on him. "Lance is on a training trip with Drake. It isn't wise to make an enemy out of your crewmate."

Naruto drew an imaginary circle with his finger around his face and said, "What makes you think this face gives a damn?"

It was then Naruto heard soft footsteps lurking from the bow of the ship. He turned around and was taken aback by the statuesque woman before him. She was the muse that inspired great paintings of angels. When she smiled, the sunlight cast on her with an irresistible prejudice to expose the splendour that was her beauty. "Professor Ivy, it's great to see you again."

"Clair!"

Philena smiled brightly as she took Clair's hand. "What are you doing here?"

Clair chuckled weakly. "Drasna couldn't make it, so she invited me to take her place."

"That's good to know. It's great to learn a thing or two from Drake."

"It's an honour." Clair smiled, but realised there was an unfamiliar blond standing behind Philena. "He is…?"

"Ah, this is Naruto. He is a friend of mine. I asked Drake to help me bring Naruto with him to Sinnoh."

Clair thrust her hand out and offered a handshake. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Clair."

While Naruto was still awestruck, Philena elbowed him in the guts to throw him out of his stupor. Naruto laughed sheepishly and shook her hand. "Great to meet you. I'm Naruto."

"Can you give us one sec?" Philena asked suddenly, surprising Naruto.

"Yeah, sure?"

The professor dragged the quizzical dragon tamer away. When she was sure they were out of earshot, she whispered conspiratorially into her ear. "Listen to me, Clair. Do not let Naruto out of your sight. I don't know how to explain this, but keep an eye on him. He is not normal."

Clair blinked. "…is he criminally insane?"

"No, not that. Well, I'm not sure." Philena didn't know how to phrase it, but she tried. "He is not what you think he is. Just… be careful."

Clair frowned. "You're scaring me, Professor Ivy."

"He is a good man, you can trust me on that. But I don't think he's human."

"W-What? You make it sound like he's secretly a Ditto that took shape of a human." Clair swallowed. "Is he a Ditto?"

"Just be careful, okay? He will listen to reasons, but I fear Lance and Drake might instigate a fight and things might get messy. Don't let them, do you hear me?"

"I… I'll try."

"Don't try." The seriousness and hysteria in Philena's eyes were freaking Clair out. "You have to do it. Got it? Do not let Naruto fight! At all cost! Do you even understand anything that is coming out of my mouth?"

"Okay…"

X-o-X-o-X-

Words got around quickly that a snobbish maverick managed to employ unorthodox methods to outwit Drake in a Pokemon battle. Notice the word used was 'outwit', not 'beat'. One bloke in the ship got wind of the existence of Naruto's Moltres and the whispering game began; people started spouting lies about the battle being rigged, accusing the blond for being a swindler. Everybody gave Naruto dirty looks and it was grating on his nerves.

Luckily for him, there was a bar in the ship. He drank a shot of whiskey and sighed. "Thank you alcohol."

Despite being ogled upon, Moltres wasn't perturbed. She stayed by her master side, taking delicate bites on her chow.

"Nice Moltres you got there." Clair stood beside the blond, her hand placed on her curvaceous waist. "May I sit beside you?"

"I don't see why not."

She smiled and ordered a glass of cosmopolitan from the bartender. "I heard you're heading to Sinnoh. May I ask why?"

 _ **"Oh! Seems like someone is on to you."**_ Kurama snickered. _ **"You'll bang her, okay?"**_

 _"Let's not think from a penis's point of view."  
_  
If Clair thought Naruto would fall for her charm and be an open book, then she got another think coming. An impish grin tugged at his lips when an epiphany struck him. "You see, I recently sold away my house because the wild Pokemon living near me were being pests. I even had a Bidoof problem. Not Bidoofs. Just one Bidoof and it's scary as hell. I hate that Bidoof and I'll tell you why."

Clair found the story intriguing; Bidoof was infamous for being nuisance because they gnawed on timbers, destroying homes in the process.

"So, my house has glass doors, yeah? If I were to sit in my living room, I can see my backyard through those glass doors. This Bidoof came into my backyard on two feet. Not on all fours. Two feet, mind you! It got to my glass doors like a thug and started looking. And here's the scary part. It was smart enough to peek through the window and laugh at me!"

"Laugh at you?" She arched a brow, sceptical at the bizarre and comical tale.

"I know right? The Bidoof was trying to get in! It wants to rob me! It even took a crowbar and tried to smash the glass doors! I tried to chase it away, but it gave me a middle finger! I was scared, you know? That's why I decide to move to Sinnoh! I ain't gonna let that Bidoof have a chance to get his gang of thug Bidoofs to rob me!"

The key to a good lie was making others believed the liar lacked a talent for lying. In this case, Naruto was a master in the craft of deception. He wasn't stressed about lying, as if conniving a ludicrous tale was second nature to him. He maintained eye contact, didn't fidget about, and was calm. Still, the loopholes in his story gave it away. She rest her cheek on her fist and smiled. "What do you get out of lying?"

Naruto furrowed his brows. "What? Who the hell makes up a lie about a Bidoof threatening to smash my glass doors with a crowbar and giving me a middle finger?"

"You want to know how I know you're lying?" Clair giggled. "First of all, Bidoof doesn't have thumbs, so they can't hold a crowbar. Secondly, they have claws, not fingers, so it is unlikely that one has the intellectual capacity to understand the context behind a raised middle finger and flip you off."

"Well, you don't need fingers to scare me!" Naruto retorted.

That got Clair guffawing light-heartedly. "I get it. If you don't wish to tell me why you're going to Sinnoh, you can just tell me so. You don't need to fabricate a story to smoke your way through this conversation."

It was then Drake and Lance entered the bar like cowboys entering a saloon, scanning the patrons with their hawk-like gaze. Drake spotted Naruto and made a beeline to the counter, a lit cigar jammed in the side of his mouth. "So this is where you are, boy wonder. How are you feeling? Having fun using the amenities around here?"

Chugging down his whiskey, Naruto responded frostily. "Yeah, I'm surprised you're not six feet under yet."

"Ah! I don't die so easily!" Drake grinned.

"You're a tough old man going crazy, I can tell you that much." Naruto figured if he were to hitch a ride on Drake's ship, the least he could do was to suck up to him. On second thought, nah – he still had his testicles intact, so that's as far as praise goes.

"Heh!" A smug grin found its way to Drake's haggard face. "That's the thing, boy! I ain't going crazy! I am crazy! I just go normal from time to time, and let me tell ya how overrated being normal is!"

Lance snickered. "Yeah, bitch! When are you going to accept my challenge?"

Drake snickered and threw a hand over Naruto's shoulders. "Do ya know Clair and Lance are related? They're cousins."

Naruto cocked a brow and turned to Clair. "Is that true? Are you related to Jackson over here?"

"It's Lance!" Lance protested.

"Right." Naruto harrumphed. "My bad. I tend to call people by the wrong name to let them know I don't really care about their existence."

"You're a real cocksucker, you know that lad?" Drake winked at Naruto, which caused the blond to flinch in disgust. Every fibre of his being compelled him to stay away from the ship captain. The only person who could make him feel that was faggoty Orochimaru; Drake came in a close second. "What do you say? Let's battle again. Your Moltres. My Flygon. One round. All day. Just me. Every day! By myself! In this turf. Butt cheeks clenched. Straight face! Pokemon ready! Let's brawl!"

"What?" Naruto shot Drake a confused look. "Do you always start your fight like that? And no, I'm not going to fight you."

"Why? Are you spineless?" It was Lance who decided to interrogate the blond. "Afraid of great ol' Drake? That's right! You're afraid of Drake, aren't ya? Ya'll afraid he might beat your ass! Your victory was a fluke! Ya'll nothing but a piece of cheese without corners. In other words, you will never be a slice bitch!"

 _ **"…I don't know what he meant by that cheese thing, but I reckon we should take offense to that and snap his dick in half."  
**_  
Naruto surmised one thing about his dilemma; dragon tamers were psychologically challenged. Anyway, ignoring Lance would only inflate his ego and Naruto couldn't allow that. "Let's not suck Drake's dick too hard, yeah? Now on any given day, I should be breaking my foot off in your manhole-size anus, but like the length of your dick, life is too short for me to give a damn. So, why don't you do us a favour and get out of my face."

The fuming Lance seized Naruto's shirt collar. "You dare insult me? Do you even know who I am, bitch?"

"No, no! I think you got it wrong." A smug grin curled at Naruto's lips and he quipped. "I'm not insulting you. I'm describing you."

"You son of a -"

"Whoa!" Clair hastily stood in between the composed blond and her exasperating cousin. "Break it up! Let's not resort to our basic instinct and start a fight here."

"Shut up, Clair!" Lance shoved violently aside. "This ain't a place for a woman like you to be hanging around! For someone who can't even pass Master's Dragon Challenge, ya lucky I even let you board this ship! Now shut your mouth and go eat your make-up or something."

Naruto frowned. He wasn't in the mood to add his two cents on someone else's family business. After all, he didn't have the luxury to grow up with a family that he could call his own, but one thing for certain was that if he did have a family, he wouldn't treat them as horseshit. Clair looked away demurely, fidgeting with her fingers; that irked Naruto. "You're just going to sit there and take that? No fuss, no retort?"

"I-It's okay. Lance is right. I wasn't qualified to be in this ship and train under Drake's tutelage. If it wasn't for Drasna, I wouldn't be here. I… should be appreciative of what I have."

What the fuck, Naruto thought. This woman had more than just a chip on her shoulder. She was subjugated by her misogynistic cousins' tyranny and she had to rationalise the unjust she was suffering in order to restrain herself from having a meltdown. That or he had too much to drink and was overthinking it. "This isn't my place to say, but anybody with some degree of self-respect will not take that without a fight."

"Well, I…"

"Oi, bitch! What did I say?" Lance stormed towards Clair and bellowed. "Shut your mouth and eat your damn make-up!"

Naruto deadpanned and grabbed Lance's shoulder. "You need to back the hell away from her, asshole."

"What are you now? Her knight in shining armour?" Lance scoffed. "Bitch please! This whore is my stupid, little cousin who is never good enough to do anything properly in life and only freeload off my family! She's a poor excuse of a dragon trainer with no backbone to stand on her own two feet and I don't even know why her mother didn't choose to abort her when – MMPPH!"

Shit escalated from zero to sixty in a blink of an eye. Naruto punched Lance across his jaw, startling everybody in the bar. Truth was, Naruto happened to be allergic to narcissistic assholes and his punch was delivered out of impulse. Lance tumbled to the floor, moaning in agony. "Tell me this guy doesn't deserve it."

"Oh, you done it now!" Drake chortled and plopped down on the bar stool, throwing peanuts into his mouth.

"Lance!" Clair begged. "Please, just walk it off!"

"Shut up, bitch!" Lance wiped the blood off the side of his bruised lips, unclipped a Pokeball from his waist, and threw it. "Dragonite, come out and rearrange this motherfucker's face!"

Dragonite manifested before Naruto, letting out a hearty roar. Moltres was about to intervene, but Naruto's glare was the verbal equivalent of 'sit pretty and don't interfere with daddy's business'. Lance was thirsty for payback as he shouted with the exuberance of a spoilt child, "Do it now! Fire punch!"

Without hesitation, Dragonite dashed towards an unfazed Naruto, its appendage ignited with hot flames.

What happened next silenced the bar.

Naruto caught Dragonite's fist, the impact caused a shockwave to erupt from his back. Lance and Clair gasped in dismay. No humans could stop a fire punch from Dragonite without having their bones fractured into million pieces, yet Naruto withstood the blow without breaking a sweat. While others were struggling to process everything, Dragonite's blood went cold.

"This isn't your fight. Back off."

When Naruto glanced up, his eyes glowed a dangerous crimson. In an instance, Dragonite saw a vision. There it laid, a vast monstrosity with a maw that spelled death and eyes hungry for destruction. As it grew to its full height, it dwarfed even mountains, its horrible growl was the sound of nightmare. Pure and utter evil, which was how Dragonite would describe it.

"What are you waiting for?" Lance barked. "Kill him! Hyper beam his ass!"

Naruto arched a brow, as if daring Dragonite to do it. "You sure about that?"

Fear smothered Dragonite's senses, leading it to crumble to the floor like a mess.

"My beef is with that asshole over there, not you." Naruto cracked his knuckles, his face was that of a killer. No emotion, no remorse. He was motivated solely by a sheer will to make those who wronged him pay. "Last chance, scales. Back off."

Dragonite's limbs were shaking in fright, sweats were forming profusely on its body.

"Atta boy." Naruto strode past a defeated Dragonite, patting its head while glaring at a gaping Lance. "Alright, numb-nuts. You can stop hiding behind your Pokemon, grow a pair, and face me like a man. You want a dick measuring contest, right? Well, here I am."

Clair was astounded. How did she not know about this man? Why hadn't he compete in the Pokemon League tournament yet? She bit her lower lip as she was bombarded with questions in her mind.

"Dragonite!" Lance shrieked. "What the hell are you doing? Stand up and beat his ass!"

Groggily, Dragonite wrestled itself up to a standing position and swallowed down its trepidation. It was one of the most feared Pokemon in Kanto; it refused to cower without putting up a fight, consequences be damned! Tendrils of hot energy assembled before Dragonite and it fired a beam of pandemonium at Naruto with the intention to pulverise the blond.

 _ **"Whoa, look out. That's a plasma beam. If we get hit by that shit, it might cause us some damage."**_

 _"Damage? What's that? Never heard of it before."_

 _ **"Arrogance is the path towards the dark side, my boy!"**_

Naruto barely acknowledged the assault as he lackadaisically swatted the concentrated beam of fire and brimstone with the back of his hand; the death ray bounced off, ricocheting to the corner of the bar and burned a gaping hole in the wall. Naruto's frame dissolved into a static blur, his inhumane speed petrified Dragonite. Suddenly, he stood before the dragon, his outstretched fingers aimed at his target's chest. "You done fucked up now, scales."

In a fraction of a second, the one inch punch was executed with devastating impact. Dragonite flew across the bar and smashed into a jukebox, its body twitched violently before it sagged. If Naruto hadn't held back, Dragonite's chest would implode, its rib-cage would disintegrate into splinters, its organs would rupture, and the internal haemorrhaging would ensure that it would be in a coma for a year or two.

Dusting his clothes, Naruto turned to a quavering Lance, his eyes murderous. "Your turn."

"Stop!" Clair stood between a horrified Lance and an annoyed Naruto, her hands extended out to her side. "Please! It's over! You beat Dragonite!"

"I beat that derpy-looking lizard because it was standing in my way. I am going to collect Keith's head, one way or another."

"His name is Lance." Clair was unyielding. "And I won't let you harm him. If you want to kill him, you have to go through me first."

Naruto narrowed his eyes, his voice turned feral and deep. "You think I won't kill you too?"

The temperature in the room seemed to drop drastically. Clair swallowed hard. The air was so dense, she was suffocating from the sheer pressure. Naruto's glare only made it worse.

 _ **"Easy there, boy. Ya'll releasing too much killing intent. The girl is gonna get a heart attack if you keep this up."**_

Relinquishing his pent-up frustration, Naruto let out a grunt and spun around, diffusing the tension. "You just killed my mojo. I'm gonna let Chester off this time. The next time he ticks me off, I will gouge out his eyeballs and feed it to the fishes."

It wasn't a threat.

It was a promise, and Naruto made sure Lance heard him.

X-o-X-o-X-

"Geez, are you superhuman or something?" Clair wrapped the bandage over Naruto's wrist and tied a fancy ribbon to secure it. She wouldn't deny the fact that he was the very definition of machismo and the tank top he wore did nothing to hide the scars emblazoned on his ripped muscles. It was no wonder the fearsome Moltres chose him as her master. "What's your secret?"

Naruto leaned against the wall, gazing at the granite sky from the side of the ship's superstructure. "No."

Clair blinked. "No as in, 'no, I'm not gonna tell you my secret' or 'no, I have no secret'. Which is it?"

"Nah, I just like saying no to people." Naruto winked impishly at Clair. "It lowers their enthusiasm."

Clair smacked his strong biceps playfully. "Can you be serious for a change?"

"Truthfully, I barely registered Dragonite's attack. Steve -"

"Lance." Clair corrected.

"Jerry is incredibly weak too. When I punched him, he dropped so quickly I thought he was diving." Naruto dug his ear insouciantly with a pinkie finger, a smug grin tugged at his lips. "I regret nothing."

"Lance isn't always like that, you know. He used to be a compassionate and inspiring trainer. Things went south for him when Team Rocket murdered his Dratini. I think some part of him died that day." Clair tucked her knees close to her chest, her voice solemn. "He has been through a lot, Naruto. Just cut him some slack."

Been through a lot? Naruto scoffed. If there was someone who had gone through a lot, it was him. He was born a weapon and ostracised for being a monster. For his whole life, he had been playing ball, even though the odds were stacked against his favour. "Oh yeah? Boohoo! Everybody lost a loved one. Doesn't give them the right to be assholes. I've been drawing the short sticks my entire life. Should I start killing people left and right because of that?"

Clair shifted her attention to the blond perched beside her and saw untold poignancy in his jaded blue eyes. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Nah, I'm good." Naruto turned to her, a suave smile played about his lips. "Let's talk about you. Are you your cousin's little bitch?"

"W-What? I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me." Blunt as it may, it was true. Clair had been subservient to Lance and it was vexing Naruto. "I don't mean it in a bad way. I say it like I see it. You didn't dare to talk back to him. You don't look up when he talks to you. I bet if he were to put his hands on you, you would probably turn the other cheek. Makes me wonder why though."

"Umm…" Clair sighed. "It's a long story."

Naruto grinned. "I got nothing but time."

"Well, my parents passed away when I was little. My uncle took me in."

"Your cousin's father." Naruto interjected, trying to clarify the details.

"Yeah. I was eight at that time. Lance acts like a big brother to me. He was very nice. He taught me many things about Pokemon. He showed me the ropes. We would spend time together with our grandfather, cleaning the Dragon's Den and having fun in the lake." Clair fidgeted with her fingers and chewed on her nail. "He even protected me when my uncle tried to…"

Naruto raised a brow, sensing a sensitive subject coming his way. It would be appropriate for him to change topic. "So, he went from Mister Nice-Guy to Mister Douche because his Pokemon died?"

"You don't understand, Naruto. Dratini was given to him as a gift by his deceased mother. That Dratini was an opportunity for him to grieve." Clair sighed. "But Team Rocket stole that from him. They killed his Dratini right before his very eyes."

Frankly, the less Naruto knew about other people's affair, the happier he would be. Despite feeling like he was in a straitjacket, Clair had been an angel to him, so he wasn't going to be a full-fledged arsehole and keep quiet. "I would assume Team Rocket is a poor choice of a name for a shady organisation. Let me take a wild guess. Your cousin thought he was hot stuff, picked a fight with them and got his ass handed to him?"

"Lance used to be the Pokemon Champion in Kanto. There's a lot of commitment that comes with the job. He has to patrol the city, make sure criminals are not out there using Pokemon to make crimes, and be the protector that the people deserve. Things happened. He met bad people. He tried to stop them, but Dratini got in the way. I don't know the details about what transpired that night, but it was traumatising enough for him to resign. Now, he drinks himself silly and starts fights."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "What a wuss."

That angered Clair. "Can't you be a little more sensitive? You don't even know him!"

"Exactly, I don't. And I don't want to." Naruto remained impassive. "Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place. The very fact that nobody is born equal should cement that notion. Some people are born deaf, others disabled. Anybody who says otherwise is being delusional. Life is hell, period!"

Clair gritted her teeth. "You can't possibly be so nihilistic! Sure, life isn't all sunshine and rainbow, but there is always hope."

"Hope? Say that to the kids who are starving and scared because their country is in war. Have you seen war before, Clair?" A haunted look marred Naruto's face. "War is where the young and stupid get sent into killing each other because the old and bitter couldn't find a common ground. Now, I'm not saying war and life are nuances, but we're all fighting our own battles. Me, you, your self-centred fuck-face of a cousin Tom."

At this point, Clair didn't have the energy to correct him. She folded her arms under her bosom and looked away. "So, is this your conclusion? Nothing matters and there is no meaning in our lives?"

"Look, I'm not the best person to talk about life. My world is not something anybody could fathom, but do you wanna know what I've learned so far?" The rhetorical question intrigued Clair; there was something about this man that made her wants to unravel all of his bottled-up mystery. "No matter how tough you are, life will always beat you to the ground and keep you there permanently… if you let it. I've seen stronger man who fall from grace because they can't take it. You see, it's never about how strong your kicks are or who can throw the fastest punch. It's about how good you are at taking those hits and still stand up and move forward."

Was his life so perpetually difficult that the little hurdles in life meant nothing to him and that the suffering of others could never measure up to his? Clair pondered as she stared at him, unconsciously studying his strong jawlines and chiselled features. It made her wondered, _"What kind of fucked-up shit did he go through to make him the man he is today?"_

"I can tell you're living in your cousin's shadow. You want to be great, but so does everybody else. But being great isn't all it's cracked up to be. You need to be able to take the hits and keep moving forward." Naruto stroked his stubble. "You know what your cousin's folly is? Self-pity. When shit happens, he can't get up from the shit-hole. He starts pointing fingers, telling himself that he isn't where he wants to be because everybody is at fault. You know who does that?"

Clair swallowed and shook her head.

"Cowards." Naruto's gaze was fierce and stern. "First step of being great, you gotta believe in yourself, even when the whole world says you ain't gotta make it. If you can't believe in yourself, no one will. What do you aspire to be?"

"I… I want to be the best dragon tamer this world has ever seen." Even the way Clair said it was unconvincing.

"Nothing worth having comes easy. You want it, you gotta walk through hard work boulevard and go take what's yours. No one can do that for you. Only you can. If you don't even believe you can achieve, you will never achieve it."

Those words hit Clair hard. Until now, she had never believed in herself. Not once in her life did she think she was capable of surpassing her cousin. She was fine being second-best and that stunt her growth. That was why she never really did walk the extra mile to be better, because she always thought she could never be the best.

As for Naruto, rock bottom was the foundation that made him who he was. He was once a kid – a pariah – who screamed about his dreams for the world to hear, but it wasn't just empty words. People said it was a stroke of luck that he could be the strongest man in his world; they had no idea how much blood, sweat, and tears were shed to get to where he was.

"Well, I think I rambled on too much." Limbering up, Naruto climbed himself up to a standing position. "It's getting late. I'm gonna go take a shit. Don't stay up too late."

"Yeah." Clair nodded, still musing about her shortcoming. "Um… I just want to say… thank you."

Naruto raised a brow. "For…?"

"For standing up for me."

"Don't thank me." The blond spun around with his hands inside his pockets, Moltres following closely behind him. "Nobody can stand up for yourself except you. You're the one that matters in your own life."

X-o-X-o-X-

Thank heaven for ship's doctors. Naruto had to visit the doctor to talk about his problems. On a positive side note, the doctor gave him solid advice: kill anybody who pissed him off. Well, not in those exact words, but the doctor recommended Naruto to do something productive in order to reduce stress. Homicide and productive rhymed, at least to Naruto they did.

For the past week, every sailor in Drake's ship had come up to him and demanded a challenge. When Naruto turned them down, they became persistent like cancer, which should be cut out as quickly and as aggressively as possible so that they would never be a pain in the ass. If it wasn't for Clair, he would have shoved a knuckle sandwich up everybody's butt.

"We're finally here!" Clair exclaimed cheerfully, basked in the warmth of the morning sunray and enveloped by a soothing breeze. "Isn't it great, Naruto?"

"Oh, yeah. It's hella great leaving this dump." Naruto gave the sailor behind his shoulder a dirty look before he disembarked. "If I stay here any longer, I might go to prison for first-degree murder."

"Chill out, Naruto. There's so much things to do here in Johto. You're gonna love it."

Naruto rolled his eyes and responded in a dead monotone. "Yay."

"Let's go meet Professor Elm! His office in New Bark Town is nearby."

New Bark Town.

Someone should kick the ass of whoever came up with the name.

While Clair was jovial, Naruto wasn't particularly thrilled to meet this Professor Elm character. From what he had gathered, Pokemon Professors were responsible for instilling propaganda about the glory of being a Pokemon Master into kids. If the academia gave the green lights for children to hunt Pokemon, then there was something terribly wrong about this world.

Pokemon were deadly. It got Naruto to wonder about the first maniac who walked up to a Pokemon and went, "Wow, this thing can kill me. Gotta catch me one of that!" Furthermore, parents did not see anything wrong about sending their unprepared and immature children to face the wildlife. Naruto was not a man who enjoyed using profanity, but what the actual fuck?

 _ **"What's your problem? I don't see you criticising Konoha for raising children as killers!"**_

 _"We don't parade it like it's a good thing. If we don't train children to defend themselves, the village will be overran by warmongers. I don't agree with it and I'm not proud to say this, but our flawed curriculum is the best option to preserve the safety of our people. I can only change that once I go back to my world and stab that Kaguya bitch with a stake."_

 _ **"That's a lot of repressed rage coming out of a very angry man. You need to go get that look at by a trained therapist."**_

 _"I don't have any repressed rage!"  
_  
 _ **"Spoken like a man with repressed rage."**_

When Naruto and Clair arrived to the science facility that was constructed out of steel and glass, they were greeted by a bespectacled man.

"Professor Elm!" Clair smiled and shook the scientist's hand. "It's so great to meet you again."

"It is great to meet you too, Clair. How have you been?" If Professor Elm had noticed Naruto standing behind Clair, he didn't show it. Or he just didn't care. "I heard you are on a winning streak as Blackthorn City's Gym Leader. No trainer has yet to beat you and earn the Rising Badge. That's very impressive. People are comparing you with the likes of Volkner and Juan. You've finally made it to the big league."

Clair chuckled sheepishly and scratched her head. "Thanks. I just hate losing, you know."

"Sounds like a sore loser to me." Naruto interjected, a mocking grin played about his lips.

"Hey! I'm not a sore loser, okay? I just prefer to win and when I don't, I get very upset." Then it dawned on Clair; she hadn't introduced Naruto to the professor. "Oh! Naruto, please meet Professor Elm. He's the guy I told you about. He is Johto's Pokemon Professor. Professor Elm, this is Naruto. He is a friend of mine who is travelling to Sinnoh to settle personal matters."

"Oh?" The scientist was flabbergasted when he saw Moltres in all her grace and beauty standing behind Naruto. "Is that a Moltres?"

Naruto was annoyed when he was brushed-off by the arrogant prick. Granted, Moltres was a celebrity of some sort, but that didn't excuse the professor for not extending some basic courtesy.

Professor Elm adjusted his glasses as he examined the firebird. "Is this specimen yours, Clair?"

"H-Huh?" Clair stammered. "Uh, no, she's -"

"I'll take it."

Clair didn't like how Naruto cocked his brow at the oblivious scientist. Although his lack of bullshit was his greatest virtue, it also made him unpredictable and occasionally trigger-happy, much to her consternation. "What did you just say?"

Professor Elm turned to the blond, his condescending eyes were barely concealed behind his glasses. "Moltres is a Legendary Pokemon. It is only logical that I take it to the lab and -"

That was the last straw. Naruto grabbed a handful of cloth from the scientist's lab coat and gave it a violent yank. Clair's protest fell on deaf ears. "Look, fuck-boy, I don't know what crawled up in your ass and died in there, but your attitude is rotten and someone need to knock your teeth in to get your priorities straight."

"L-Let go of me!" The scientist struggled to pry himself off Naruto's mighty grip but to no avail. "D-Do you know who I am?"

"Why should I care about someone who trades his conscience away for greed?"

"Trade my conscience away?" Professor Elm looked insulted. "Show some respect -"

"Respect? Oh, you want to talk about respect?" Naruto effortlessly lifted the lanky scientist with one arm and hurled him aside. "You're a science guy, right? I assume you're good with your statistics, no?"

"T-That... goes without saying." Professor Elm glared daggers at the blond, fixing his dishevelled tie and straightening his jacket's lapels.

"Tell me how many kids are sent into the wild each month?"

Professor Elm rubbed his nose. "T-Twenty?"

Micro-expressions and body languages were the subtle things that Naruto could easily discerned when someone was deceiving him. With his sharp analytical prowess and his dexterous capability to perceive emotions, he was a walking lie detector. Cues like blinking rapidly and face touching were dead giveaways and Professor Elm were doing all that. "You lying to me?"

The scientist was finding it hard to breathe. "A h-hundred."

Naruto shot an incredulous look at the professor. "A hundred? How many of them receive basic training prior to their suicide trip?"

Professor Elm hesitated.

"Speak when you're spoken to!"

The fidgeting professor shrugged, fear was coiling in his stomach. "N-None?"

Naruto was gaping in disbelief. "Are you shitting me?"

"You don't understand! They are doing it for a great purpose!" Professor Elm mustered his temerity to speak up against the ferocity of Naruto's glare. "They are helping us know more about Pokemon! When they find and battle Pokemon in the wild, we record and extrapolate the data for analysis! I-I'm a professor who specialises in -"

"I don't give a rat ass about what you do. How easily you ignore the loss of life when it suits your convenience. Tell me this." Placing a hand on his hip, Naruto pointed a finger at the professor. "How many kids make it pass the next town?"

"Umm…"

Naruto was controlling his rage as he glowered predatorily at the trembling professor. "Do not make me go there and help you answer that question."

"L…Less than half?"

"Less than half?" Naruto raised his foot, pulled out a dagger strapped to his calf, and twirled with it. Professor Elm was getting anxious, his apprehensive gaze was fixated at the dagger spinning in Naruto's hand. "Now, I don't know if your parents drop you on your head when you're a baby or am I losing my mind, but any sane person with some degree of common sense should know that untrained kids are not meant to fight monsters!"

"But -"

"Shut up." Naruto interjected crudely, his tone venomous. Professor Elm shut up. "Do you know what a ten year old kid should be doing? I'll tell you what, since you don't seem to have a clue. School! They should be getting a proper education. Have fun in the playgrounds. Roll in the mud. Learn their maths and science. Brush up their linguistic skills. Go to college. Make a difference in their life."

"Being a Pokemon trainer makes a difference in their life." Professor Elm argued.

"Are you only listening to five percent of what I just said?" At this point, Naruto was hyperventilating from sheer anger. "You do not impose your selfish needs onto children when you don't even bother teaching them how to make a bonfire! You want to know more about Pokemon? Go pick up a survival kit and do it yourself!"

Pacing around the chamber was a distraction that kept Naruto from committing bloody homicide. "You talk about tall tales. About how great a mission it is for them to make a name for themselves by catching and beating Pokemon. You taught them enslaving the inferior is the right thing to do. It spares you the burden of all their deaths. Absolve you of guilt because the end justifies the means."

After listening to Naruto shedding lights about the flaws of their society, doubts surfaced on the forefront of Clair's mind. It was frightening for Clair to think that there was a shadow government scheming to brainwash children into doing their biddings. In lieu of school, sending children to capture Pokemon had always been a norm. Perhaps a myriad of factors played a part, but the norm had deeply infested in the roots of their society – like a disease – that nobody saw fit to speak up against.

Meanwhile, talking to human garbage made Naruto want to throw up. He stalked towards the scientist, who instinctively backpedalled to a wall. "You leverage on a kid's innocence. You feed them with lies about being the best and exploit their weaknesses. Those kids were sheep and you sent them to the slaughterhouse. Their blood are on your hands."

Professor Elm flinched when Naruto poised his dagger at his throat. "I don't even know how you tuck yourself to bed and sleep peacefully at night. To me, you're no better than a mass murderer. And you dare talk to me about respect?"

Naruto spit at the scientist's shoe. "You don't deserve any respect."

X-o-X-o-X-

 **Author Note: I hope you thoroughly enjoyed reading this chapter.**

 **I went through your reviews/opinions about Naruto's future Pokemon and came up with this list:**  
 **a. Genesect**  
 **b. Tornadus (I never thought of this Pokemon, honestly)**  
 **c. Mimikyu**  
 **d. Sceptile (Popular)**  
 **e. Tyranitar (Popular)**  
 **f. Gardevoir (Popular)**  
 **g. Absol (I didn't know it is known as a disaster Pokemon)**  
 **h. Lucario (Very Popular)**  
 **i. Zoroark (Popular)**  
 **j. Ninetales/Alolan Ninetales (Popular)**  
 **k. Greninja (Quite popular)**  
 **l. Espeon**  
 **n. Gengar**  
 **m. Chancey (…?)**  
 **o. Hydreigon (Popular)**  
 **p. Dragonite**  
 **q. Deoxy**  
 **r. Charizard**  
 **s. Metagross**  
 **t. Victini**  
 **u. Lapras**  
 **v. Meloetta**  
 **w. Mewtwo (Quite popular)**  
 **X. Pheromosa (My opinion – she's an Ultra Beast that has stats that make her a legit glass cannon)**  
 **y. Latias**  
 **z. If you have any further suggestions about Naruto's Pokemon that, drop a review and let me know. Do not PM me.**

 **I repeat again. Do not PM me your opinion/review/suggestions about the story** **. I will not read it. If you have a opinion/review/suggestion, please support the story by dropping a review. If they need further discussion, I will PM you and we can discuss it from there. I hope you understand; supporting authors by giving them reviews is the only way to show how much you like and care about the story.**

Pairing wise:  
1.) NarutoXCynthia  
2.) NarutoXSabrina  
3.) NarutoXKaren  
4.) NarutoXDiantha  
5.) NarutoXClair

 **Please review to let me know what you think**


	3. Route from Hell

**WARNING: READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED**

Professor Philena Ivy enjoyed functions hosted by the Pokemon Association like she enjoyed getting hit in the vulva. Being surrounded by out-of-shape blowhards wasn't the reason why she shuffled around uneasily in the ballroom like as if she was separated from a tour group. The fact that she wasn't a professor representing an entire region gave her a chip on her shoulder.

Amidst the crowd, Philena spotted a familiar face.

Professor Samuel Oak, a closet megalomaniac who was intoxicated by the grandeur of power. For the sake of amassing power, he was not above dirtying his hands in order to get things done his way. Behind the kind smile that he wore hid a ruthless despot who was responsible for brainwashing millions of people into believing that training Pokemon was the holy grail of all professions.

How did he do it?

Well, it's quite simple really.

Fuel fear into people. Fear was the devil's greatest illusion. Fear, like fire, needed only the right motivation to devour something whole. With the limitless resources possessed by the Pokemon Association, Samuel spread tales of war and terror to instil fear into the people. In the midst of chaos and bedlam, he promised peace and order in exchange for children to be made his soldiers.

Fear got the best of everybody.

They say power lies within everything. For Samuel, power was the stone fortress that stood for century and to command the fortress was to command the heart of the people. Pokemon trainer was an ostentatious way to describe child soldiers, but he wouldn't apologise for his scheme, because what he did – to him – was a necessary evil.

When you conceive a lie long enough, eventually you will start to believe it; Samuel was no exception.

Every villain, after all, is a hero in their story.

"Professor Ivy, it's nice seeing you in a dress for a change." Nobody could smile better than Samuel. He carried himself like an aristocrat, yet portrayed himself as a kind man. A wolf in sheep's clothing indeed. "You don't attend events like this often, no?"

Philena managed a weak smile. "I guess cramming myself in my lab and studying Pokemon's behaviour has made me an introvert."

"Step out of your comfort zone." He took a sip from his glass of champagne, his eyes remained fixated at his junior. Most, if not all Pokemon Professors were his juniors. "Orthodoxy means you're not thinking. A notion that compels you not to think. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness. It is not something professors like us need."

"I still have much to learn."

"Why hello there."

Philena turned to the one person she didn't want to meet. Professor Sebastian was a sociopathic voodoo doll who worked for Team Rocket. To put Philena's hatred for sleazy Sebastian into perspective, if Arceus were to terrorise the planet and demand a sacrifice, she would drive a hundred miles to his house with a net and a tranquiliser.

"Sebastian." Philena addressed frostily.

"Hewn from a glacier as usual, Ivy. It's your quirk that make you so irresistibly charming."

That comment almost made Philena shuddered.

Samuel chuckled. "I hope you brought the party with you, Professor Sebastian."

"Definitely, Professor Oak."

Philena narrowed her eyes.

It wasn't much of a stretch to think that the Pokemon Association was in cahoots with a notorious crime syndicate such as Team Rocket. It would be a PR disaster if the professors of the Pokemon Association were caught stealing Pokemon to further their agenda. They needed to rub shoulders with vile, sadistic men to get things done. Progress wasn't made from sunshine and unicorns after all.

"A party?" Philena cleared her throat. "Are you suggesting there is something we should be looking forward to?"

Sebastian grinned. "Why yes. You see, with the help of Professor Oak and his team, we manage to track down a Legendary Pokemon."

Realisation dawned on Philena. "You managed to capture a Legendary Pokemon? How?"

The smugness from Sebastian's face made Philena wanting to punch him in the nose. To Sebastian, the world was a factory farm filled with Pokemon to be experimented on. "A couple of fighter jets, some artillery, a few attack helicopters, and a well-planned strategy are all I need."

Sebastian readied his mic and raised a hand. "It's main event time!"

As if on cue, the curtain from the opulent stage unfurled, attracting everybody's attention. Displayed for eyes to see was the sovereign of the sky, a black Rayquaza, caged pitifully in an iron prison, designed to contain its immeasurable power. Philena gasped in horror. The great dragon was at the mercy of mere humans, an unfortunate sight that pained Philena deeply.

When Rayquaza became unhinged and smashed itself against the steel walls of its unbreakable cage, Sebastian held up a remote and with a push of the button, the mighty dragon was engulfed by lightning. Rayquaza let out a bone-rattling screech and collapsed to the floor, its charred body writhing and trashing about.

Sebastian didn't give a hoot about Rayquaza's agony. He thought of himself as a showman, an artist with a strong sense of theatre. When it came down to flaunting achievements, Sebastian made sure to rub it on everybody's face. In this case, he took tremendous delight in Rayquaza's humiliation and defeat.

"You outdid yourself this time, Professor Sebastian." Samuel clapped as he stood before the podium and it evoked everybody's applause. "Rayquaza will be a deterrent. A weapon of mass destruction. Ladies and gentlemen, what you're seeing is the future. The association has the largest arsenal of Pokemon in the world that are ready for combat, but we answer to no country. For decades, the world is enjoying peace and prosperity because of what we do."

He gazed down at his audience, a proud smile found its ways to his aged face. "We are powerful. But power isn't about the ability to destroy. The association has built infrastructure and curriculum all over the world. We brought stability and order because we put efficiency before bureaucracy. The truth is, governments do not know how to solve the world's problem. Before the association is instituted, wars plagued our world. For profit's sakes, countries implemented belligerent militaristic policy that ravaged lands."

Inhaling deeply, Samuel scowled, his voice cold as ice. "How many people have died for these so called governments? Millions? Time and again we have seen wars that led to more wars. The association symbolises the end of all wars. When we grow in power, the world leaders trembles. They are afraid. More afraid of us than they are of the Pokemon. Instead of seeing us as a solution, they saw us as a threat. An independent organisation too powerful to be controlled. They are afraid of us. And you know what? They should."

While the corporate tycoons, nobles and professors were celebrating their triumph, Philena gazed into Rayquaza's eyes. Hate and rage were radiating from its crimson orbs as it glared vehemently at Philena. It wanted blood, it wanted vengeance, but most importantly, it wanted the extinction of mankind.

Samuel cleared his throat. "This moment has been years in the making. Billions of dollars have been spent. So much resources depleted. The scientific setbacks and breakthrough brought us to this day. The association now has Legendary Pokemon in our ranks. With their strength, we will bring about a new age. I am but an agent of change who shall guide us to our destiny. Rejoice now and let us commemorate this day with a toast!"

They all raised their glasses like sheep, cheering for a cause bigger than themselves and drowning out Rayquaza's hapless whines in the process. Philena wanted to refuse, but under Samuel's patronising glare made her do it too.

She had to do something.

She had to make things right.

But how?

X-o-X-o-X-

Route 29 was the path every child in Johto took to become an aspiring Pokemon trainer, but the residents of Cherrygrove City knew better. Something vile and evil lurked within the forest. Children went missing frequently in the ominous Route 29, but the confounding and disturbing part of the tale was that nobody could really recall much about those tragic incidents.

People forgot about the missing children and moved on with their lives, as if shrugging off errs in their mundane routines.

Young Billy was just like any ambitious ten year old who envisioned himself a hero. He was young and hot-headed. When he got his Pokemon from Professor Elm, he overzealously took off to the woods.

The downpour had slackened into a drizzle, but it didn't stop the bright boy from strolling with childish glee in the forest. When he reached the riverbank, he rummaged his backpack for his canteen, but his hand had carelessly brushed across his belt and he accidentally unclipped his Pokeball. Much to his dismay, the Pokeball dropped into the streamlet and whistled along the channel.

Chasing the Pokeball wasn't easy for Billy. The faster he ran, the further the damn thing pulled away. He put on speed, and for a moment, he thought he could catch up to his Pokeball, but one of his feet slipped and he went sprawling.

"Shit!" He cried and haplessly watched as his Pokeball drifted into a peculiar cave. "Shit! Shit!"

Groggily, he stood up and limped towards the cave. The fall must had twisted his ankle. "Great. Just great. My first day and this shit happens to me."

Darkness.

There was nothing he could see within the abyss.

"Um… hello?"

He backpedalled when he saw white eyes staring back at him.

He wanted to bolt, but he was rooted in fear. As he was about to turn around, a melodic, almost pleasant voice called out. "Hi, Billy."

Billy blinked.

It was a Pokemon, Billy presumed. It stood in the cave, the darkness barely hid its yellow flaky skin. It had a tuft of white fur around its neck and one of its hand held up a pendulum, a big smile curved at his mouth.

"Are you looking for something, Billy?"

Billy smiled back, albeit warily. "Yeah. My Pokeball went in there."

It laughed, but its gaze – unblinking, intense, and carried a hint of amusement – remained fixated at Billy. "I see. I see. What should we do about that?"

"C-Can… you help me retrieve it?"

"Sure!" It giggled and beckoned the boy to come closer. "Why don't you come in and find it with me?"

"Are you a Pokemon?" Billy swallowed.

It remained quiet, the smile on its face had dropped. "Yes. Yes I am."

"That's cool. Why don't you be my Pokemon?"

"I think that sounds like a good idea." It said in a sing-sang voice. "I think I should introduce myself to you, Billy. I am Hypno. Hypno knows Billy. Billy knows Hypno. Hypno and Billy are friends. Correct?"

Billy nodded fervently. "Yeah. I can't believe I could catch myself a Pokemon so easily! This is my lucky day!"

"Yes! Yes it is!" Hypno giggled. "So, what do you say? It's a little dark in here. I can't see well."

Billy took a step forward, but remained still. "Why are you in there anyway?"

"The storm, Billy." Hypno smiled. "The storm brought me here. This cave has many things! It's a carnival in there, you know? Can you smell it?"

Tantalising aroma of funnel cakes, curried goat, and hot wings gushed into Billy's nose. He could smell donuts, cotton candy, and salty sea breeze, but it couldn't mask away the stench of decomposing leaves and something disturbing foul.

"I can smell it!"

"Do you smell popcorn too?"

As if on cue, the smell of hot caramel popcorn flooded Billy's senses. "Yeah!"

Hypno guffawed. "Good! It's real fun in here! I also have a Driftloon for you. Look."

It hoisted up a purple balloon-like Pokemon in its grip. "There's more in there too! You can go catch them if you want! Catch them all, Billy!"

"Wow! It's a Pokemon?"

"Yes, Billy! Hypno's grin widened disturbingly. "It's a Pokemon that carries children to carnival! It's so fun! Come in! They're all waiting for you! You gotta catch them all!"

Billy took another step forward.

Hypno's teeth were clattering, its face darkened. "Catch them all, Billy."

Suddenly, it let out a guttural croak and its head twitched violently, as if undergoing a severe spasm. What Billy saw next made his worst nightmare seemed like a real carnival. Whatever it was had morphed into something deformed, something hideous… something monstrous.

"Catch them all." It chuckled in a dark, clotted voice.

The thing ran on all fours towards the terrified boy, its horrifying maw opened to bare his rotten mouth. "Come and catch them all, Billy! Catch them all! **CATCH THEM ALL, BILLY!** "

Billy spun around and dread was caught in his throat, but it was too late.

The thing had its claws on him.

His shrill and mindless screams went unheard in the vast forest.

"You can catch all the Driftloon in there." Its sinister voice crooned, followed by a small giggle. "And when you're in there with me, you can join them and be a Driftloon too."

The sound of ribs splintering brought a searing sheet of agony through Billy's body.

At that moment, Billy was no more.

X-o-X-o-X-

"So, this is the Forest of Nope?" Naruto arched a brow and diverted his gaze to the bristling bushes. "Doesn't look that impressive to me."

Clair rubbed her hands, the chill crawling up her spine wasn't making things any better. "Remind me again why you choose to reject Drake's offer and not take a free boat-ride to Sinnoh? You do know that Route 29 is infamous for being a haunted path, right? Do you even know what that means?"

Shrugging nonchalantly, Naruto stroked Moltres's beak affectionately, which the firebird chirped with vigour. "Clair, what's your favourite food?"

She blinked dumbly. "What is that got to do with anything?"

"Just answer the damn question."

Rolling her eyes, she folded her arms under her bosom. "Sweet potatoes."

"Okay. Have you eaten sweet potatoes and then get foot poisoning?"

She nodded. "Yeah, when I was twelve. I still remember I couldn't eat sweet potatoes for a month because the sight of it makes me want to puke."

A saccharine smile curled at Naruto's lips. "Those people in Drake's boat are my sweet potatoes. But instead of puking, most likely I might snap and kill everything I sees if I stay in that ship for one more day, Clair. If you want me to be on that ship, you have to be responsible for me."

At that, Naruto gave Clair the infamous and despicable puppy-dog pout.

Realising that her frustration was melting away, Clair rolled her eyes and pinched Naruto's cheek playfully. "If you weren't this cute, I would have slapped you in the face so hard."

"Oh, sounds kinky." A suave grin played about Naruto's lips. "When do we start?"

"Tone down that grandiose sense of self-worth, Naruto. It's not getting you anywhere."

"Don't sass me, Clair." Naruto winked. "That's my job."

They shared a light laugh, but their moment of happiness was thrown away when a thick mist invaded the forest. They scanned their environment warily, trying to figure out where was the mist coming from. Clair squinted and discerned a silhouette approaching them.

It was a little girl. A creepy one at that too. She was humming to a lullaby, giggling to herself. Naruto ran a few mental checklist to make sure the girl fulfilled the criteria of being the poster girl of a stereotypical B-Grade horror flick.

Long hair?

Checked.

Red dress?

Checked.

Creepy as hell?

Double checked.

"Forest, you must leave!"

Talk in annoying haiku.

Super checked.

Anybody would have freaked out at this very moment, but not Naruto. He was calm and composed, rationalising his dilemma inwardly. _"Okay, I'm too confused to be scared right now. Am I supposed to be scared of a creepy-ass little girl? I mean, if she were to charge at me, I'll just kick her in the face. It's not like a little girl can do shit to me. What is she going to do? Hug me to death?"_

 _ **"Something about creepy girls always give me the jitters. Maybe she's not directing her scariness at you."**_

The creepy girl pointed a finger at Naruto.

 _ **"Yup, she's definitely directing her scariness at you."**_

 _"Well, in order to for me to be intimidated by a creepy little girl, she has to do more weird shit to make me wet my pants."_

Blood streamed down the girl's soulless eyes and she craned her neck in a disturbing angle, a horrifying grin tugged at her lips.

Kurama deadpanned. _**"You just have to say it, don't you?"  
**_  
Meanwhile, Clair was freaking out. She tugged at Naruto's sleeve and whispered shakily. "I-I think she has a point. Let's get going before things get out of hand, yeah? N-Naruto? Naruto!"

Naruto wasn't bulging. He took a step forward, straightened the collar of his jacket, and smiled. "Hey, we don't mean to trespass your territory, but we really need to get through this forest. Do you mind stepping aside?"

"Leave now!" The girl shrieked in a distorted voice.

Clair yelped and hid behind her pillar of strength – Naruto.

"Uhh… I have to politely decline that." He smiled weakly. "I really need to get through this godforsaken place."

"Leave nooooooooow!"

Annoyance was building up in Naruto, but he squashed down any murderous thoughts. "Let's be civilised here, okay? I need to get pass this forest. I'm not gonna destroy this forest and kill any wildlife in the process. Just let me through and we won't need to see each other ever again."

"Leave now!"

A frown line delved between his eyebrows. "You're not listening to me!"

"Leave now!"

"No, no! See, I… want… to… get… through… this… forest." Naruto articulated his words deliberately slow. "All I want is to get through to Cherrygrove City in peace and you're ruining my day. Move aside, please!"

The girl tilted her head. "Leave nooooooooow!"

This was not working well for Naruto. The creepy girl was enjoying it, if her twisted giggle was any indication. "I refuse to play your stupid mind games!"

"Leave now!"

Naruto gritted his teeth. "Not leaving!"

"Leave now!"

"Not leaving!"

"Leave now!"

"Not leaving!"

"Leave nooooooooow!"

Naruto growled, his jaw clenched and his eyes were burning with furious anger. "You're starting to piss me off, you little shit!"

"Leaveeeeeeee…" The girl was being snarky, her tone provocative. "Now!"

"Say that again and I'll bitch-slap you back to hell."

Naruto heaved out a sigh of relief, placed his hands on his waist, and smiled at Clair. "Well, that wasn't so hard -"

"Leave now! Leave now! Leave now! Leave now!"

Forming a hand seal, Naruto expelled a raging sea of inferno at the creepy girl. "Katon: Goryuka no Jutsu!" **(Fire Style: Great Dragon Flame Technique)**

Flames as hot as the sun devoured everything in its warpath, reducing the nearby trees into ashes. Clair was stupefied by the display of power, unable to comprehend Naruto's mythical ability to spit fire like it was nothing extraordinary. When the smoke was cleared, the creepy girl was nowhere to be seen. "There! No more hindrance to block our way. Let's go!"

"W-What just happen?"

"I chased that girl away." Naruto glibly responded with a grin. "If she wants to get me, she better drop her baby blanket and do it right."

Words couldn't describe how relieve and confuse Clair was. Route 29 was notorious for being eerie and unsettling. Rumours went that an infestation of Hypno had wreaked havoc in the forest, but there was no proof to validate the allegation, granted nobody actually wanted to validate it personally. It was times like this that Clair was glad to be near a fearless sociopath like Naruto.

Stretching his limbs, Naruto turned to Moltres, patting the back of its head to comfort it. He did catch a glimpse of Clair shaking in her boots. A tough as nail woman like Clair wouldn't want anybody to call her a scaredy-cat, which was why Naruto couldn't pass up the opportunity to tease her about it.

"You're scared, aren't you?"

Clair averted her gaze. "N-No, I'm not! I have you know that I'm the famed Dragon Mistress of Kanto! I trained and wrestled with dragons all my life!"

"Liar."

She cocked a brow. "Liar?"

"Pants on fire!" Naruto snickered. "You're blazed."

"Fine!" Clair grunted. "Creepy girl and forest aren't the best combo for me. Or for anyone else."

Naruto dug his ear with a pinkie insouciantly. "It's a Pokemon."

"Pokemon? That creepy girl?"

"Yup." He smiled brightly. "I smelled a tang of musky and lemony odour when that creepy girl shows up. Fox usually caries such an odour. I would know because I know a fox myself."

Clair stroked her chin, contemplating about the information. "Could it be a Ninetales? I heard that ancient Ninetales could play tricks on people with their illusionary powers."

That piqued Naruto's interest. "Ninetails? You guys have a Ninetails here? As in a giant orange fox with tails that could flatten a mountain and the power to nuke an entire city?"

"What?" She stared incredulously at the blond. "No. Ninetales is a fox Pokemon. It is native to the Kanto and Johto region. And it's about -" She raised a hand at her chest. "This tall. And from what I know, it can't flatten a mountain or nuke a city. What kind of Ninetales did you coop up with?"

"An old one that gets nostalgia when he sees cave paintings."  
 _ **  
"Hey! I resent that!"**_

"Anyway, how do the average Pokemon trainer train their Pokemon?"

Clair blinked. "There's many Pokemon in the wild. You can go and fight them. It helps give Moltres some battle experience."

Naruto laughed aloud hysterically, almost to the extent of conjuring a coughing fit. "Oh, Clair! You goofball! You want Moltres to fight and possibly kill wild Pokemon for her leisure? Why? Why should I go around, disturb a family of Pokemon, challenge them to a fight, and possibly have Moltres killed them in front of their loved ones? Doesn't that sound a little too barbaric to you?"

Putting it that way did make it sound barbaric to Clair, but that had always been the tradition. Pokemon trainers would encounter the ferocious beasts lurking in the wild and do battles. However, not many people actually thought about the consequences. The injured Pokemon wouldn't know how to get to a Pokemon Centre and most of them would succumb to their wounds.

"If that's the case, how do you propose you could train Moltres? She needs to fight something to gain experience in battle."

How to train your Pokemon?

This train of thoughts had plagued Naruto for a while. The capacity for Moltres to be great was limitless, but how could he actually make her great? Then it dawned on him. Sure, it was important for him to know Moltres's quirks and skills, but it wasn't necessary. What Moltres needed was to polish up her existing skills, honed her reflexes, and improved on her agility.

As the old saying goes, fear not the man who practiced a thousand different kicks, but fear the man who practiced one kick a thousand times. With that in mind, Naruto turned to Moltres and grinned. "You want to be strong, no?"

Moltres chirped buoyantly.

"Well, I know what to do with you then."

During his exploration, he noticed trainers either throw their Pokemon into battle simulations or force them to learn a plethora of unnecessary techniques. What's the point of doing all that if they didn't bother to improve on their Pokemon's fundamentals? Battle instincts, reflexes, durability, stamina, and speed were vital in a fight, more so than fancy techniques.

"Your sparring partner will be me." Naruto shook off the stiffness from his muscle. "Give me all you got. You will not stop until I say so. I will break you and fix you back just to do it all again. I will keep pushing you until you have nothing left. It will be the toughest challenge you have ever faced in your life, but I assure you, once this is over, you will come out stronger than ever. Are you ready to take the Uzumaki Challenge?"

Moltres roared.

"Good. Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" As if on cue, hundreds of Naruto's clones materialised in the forest, glaring in unison at a frightened Moltres. Dealing with one Naruto was a nightmare for Moltres, now she had to survive a friggin' army. This was an overkill. "If you think I'm gonna pull my punches, you're dead wrong. I'm gonna come at you with all I got. In this challenge, you will be doing one thing and one thing only."

Fear overwhelmed Moltres, but she stood her ground. There could be no hesitation and weakness. She had to persevere and survive the challenge if she wanted to be stronger. That was the reason why she followed Naruto and she couldn't let him down.

"Dodge."

Letting out a collective war cry, the legion lunged themselves at the firebird.

Clair watched in amazement as Naruto's doppelganger chased after Moltres. At this stage, she wasn't going to bother herself with questions like, 'how did he do that?' This battle was surreal to her. It was as if Naruto was a Pokemon himself.

Wait!

Was he secretly a Pokemon?

Kneading a few unorthodox hand seals, some of Naruto's clones spat jets of pressurised water at Moltres. "Suiton: Suidanha!" **(Water Style: Severing Wave)**

What amazed and terrorised Clair was that, despite the fact that the torrents of water had missed Moltres, they effortlessly sliced through boulders like hot knife through butter and even the clouds in the empyreal sky were severed. Naruto wasn't done yet. He slammed his palms on the soil and bellowed. "Doton: Doryudan no Jutsu!" **(Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet Technique)**

Mother Nature was warped into a wicked Gatling gun, firing a barrage of stone and rocks at Moltres. The adrenaline rush propelled the firebird to evade the projectiles even faster, but a slight drop of concentration had caused her wings to be hit by the assault. She winced, withstood the pain, and soared even higher, but Naruto was relentless. "Don't let your guard down! Raiton: Rairyu no Tatsumaki!" **(Lightning Style: Lightning Dragon Twister)**

Even staying airborne wasn't safe for Moltres. Naruto raised a catastrophic tornado that threatened to destroy and annihilate anything near it. Trees were almost uprooted, the ground was levelled, massive dust clouds were circulating fiercely around the tornado, and the powerful surge of gale force threw Moltres off-balance.

In a distracted state, Moltres failed to detect the real threat behind her. "Futon: Atsugai!" **(Wind Style: Bleeding Force)**

The concussive blast of air struck Moltres point-blank. She sailed the air like a ragdoll, but fortunately, her fall was cushioned by the tree branches.

"I went easy on you, Moltres." Naruto remained afloat in the air and inhaled deeply, flames were licking the edge of his lips. "Get up. I'm not done yet. Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" **(Fire Style: Grand Fireball Technique)**

As the majestic bird of fire that ruled the sky of Kanto, it was hard to imagine it being a prey, especially to a mere human. No, Naruto wasn't a mere human, that fact had been cemented after the incredible things he could do. He was the Alpha, someone who could potentially be the strongest Pokemon trainer this world had ever seen. It was a pity he held no such dreams to begin with.

Plopping down beside a tree, Clair took out her Pokeballs, dug out a towel from her bag, and gave them a good wipe.

X-o-X-o-X-

"Thanks for coming. I really appreciate it." Philena brought a tray of oriental teapot into her lab's meeting room.

Professor Juniper smiled as she accepted the tea. "No worry, Philena. We went through thick and thin together since college. You know you can count on us."

"Yeah, you bet!" The bubbly Professor Burnet chirped. "You sound desperate when you called us though. What is it you wish to discuss?"

"Well, how should I put it?" Philena sat down on her seat, tucked her hands under her lap, and sighed. "I want to reveal the truth about the Pokemon Association to the public."

Burnet's eyes widened. "W-What? Why?"

Juniper, however, was aloof.

"I recently met a man. Long story short, he questioned me about the unjust in this world. I realised he is right about this. Professor Oak's regime and propaganda are motivating kids to do things that aren't right. I think we, as professors, should not allow it to happen anymore. We have to put an end to this. I suggest we hold a press conference and come clean with the things we're doing."

Burnet grabbed a handful of her hair and exclaimed. "You're nuts, Philena! You can't do that! That is like declaring war with Professor Oak! He has ties with so many criminal corporations. We can't possibly make a dent."

"So what? We're just gonna sit back and pretend like everything is awesome? Like we're not sending out thousands of children to the wild for our benefits? Have you seen the Rayquaza who was caught by Team Rocket? That is a clear display of how ruthless Professor Oak truly is. He will do anything in his power to get power. If he acquires all the Legendary Pokemon, no country will be able to stand up against him."

Juniper took in a deep breath and offered a small smile to Philena. "Perhaps you're overthinking things, Philena. You always are the hot-headed one in the bunch."

"I thought this through, Juniper! I have to do it. By disclosing the conspiracy to the public, we may lose our right to be professors, but at least we are saving millions of kids from becoming Pokemon trainers! We all know the Pokemon League is just a sham to raise an army of capable Pokemon trainers for war! The kids don't even know what they are getting into!"

"This is crazy, Philena!" Burnet almost shrieked. "You're not even considering the consequences! You think losing our licences is the only thing that is coming for us if we let you do this? Professor Oak will kill us! I mean straight-up guillotine our asses!"

Philena gritted her teeth. "How can you sleep at night knowing that thousands of kids die because of one man's goal?"

"As much as I hate to say this, but Philena is right." Juniper stood up, her kind smile still tugged at her lips. "Burnet, the Pokemon Association has been using poor and helpless children to do their bidding for years. I think we should stand up against this unjust and oppression. We have to destroy Professor Oak's regime to remind him that the weak should never be bullied by the strong."

"You can't be serious, Juniper!" Burnet was agape.

Philena, however, was ecstatic. She bolted up from her chair and gave her best friend a tight hug. "Thank you so much, Juniper!"

Juniper chuckled. "It's nothing, Philena. That's what friends do, no?"

Burnet groaned, but she had always been the little sister amongst the trio; she had no say in this. "I'm gonna regret this."

"Don't be a spoilsport, Burnet. We're making history. Oh, wait. Let me get you some rice cake I bought from Johto." Philena spun around and was about to fetch for the snack when Juniper called out to her.

"Philena, you forgot something."

When Philena turned around, she gasped in horror as her best friend plunged a dagger into her stomach. Hot agony rushed through Philena's abdomen as she struggled to comprehend her predicament. "J-Juniper… why?"

Tears fell from Juniper's cold eyes, but her grip was firm as she stared into her friend's frightened and confused eyes. Snaking a hand behind Philena's back, Juniper pulled her friend to her and shoved the entire blade into her squirming victim. Blood was gushing out and spraying all over Juniper's shirt, but she paid it no mind. "I love you so much, Philena. Please forgive me."

With a slight push, Juniper pulled out her dagger from Philena's bloody wound and watched as her friend collapsed into a pool of blood. "Things would have been so much simple if you just keep your mouth shut, Philena."

Philena writhed on the floor and tried to call out for help, but she couldn't.

"Please don't be mistaken, Philena. I meant what I said. I truly want to help you in your crusade to end the Pokemon Association's tyranny. But… you don't know what kind of hell I've endured to become a regional Pokemon Professor. I can't let you ruin everything just because you want to play hero. You, who have never fought hard for anything in your life, wouldn't understand someone like me who have to work from nothing. Goodbye, Philena."

Dropping onto Philena's waist and straddling her hips, Juniper reached out to her dying friend's neck and applied pressure.

She watched in despair as life faded from her friend's eyes.

It was then Juniper remembered there was one more person in the room. Like a hawk, she shifted her attention to Burnet, who was cowering behind a vase. She could see a plethora of emotions running through Burnet's eyes. Trepidation, terror, and despondence shook Burnet right down to her core as she had just witnessed the murder of her friend. "J-Juniper… what have you done?"

"You know too much, Burnet."

"Please! I…" Burnet hated herself for being a coward, but she didn't want to die. Not like this. "I-I won't say out! I promise! I'll keep my mouth shut!"

Juniper tilted her head, there was no emotion in her eyes as she slowly stalked towards a terrorised Burnet. "You know… this situation reminds me so much about a boy named Jeffrey and my childhood friend, Oshawott."

A hollow chuckle escaped Juniper's lips as she stared at the reflection from the steel of her blood-soaked blade. "Jeffrey used to pick on me when I was in school. He would win in our Pokemon battles and proceed to gloat at me. Jeffrey was treated by my teachers as a glorified genius because his father happened to be a regional Pokemon Professor. His family was wealthy and he made sure to remind everybody about that. I was poor. My father ran away when I was four to continue his journey as a Pokemon trainer. My mother was a drug addict. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what kind of life I have to endure."

"W-Why are you telling me this?" Burnet backpedalled, but found herself cornered to a wall.

"I'm about to get to the good part, Burnet. Don't interrupt me, okay?" Juniper scowled, earning her a hasty nod from Burnet. "Jeffrey would pick on me every day, using his Electivire to electrocute my Oshawott while his friends would pin me down on the floor and force me to watch. Oshawott was there for me when my mother abused me. Oshawott was there to defend me when my uncle tried to come at me. And I couldn't do anything when Jeffrey murdered my Oshawott. When I report to the principal about this, what do you know? He brushed me off and gave Jeffrey a slap on the wrist. Just like that, Jeffrey got away with murder."

It was then Juniper's eyes went deranged. "You know why that is? It's because Jeffrey's father is a renowned Pokemon Professor. It was then I realised that fame, power, and wealth gives you the right to do anything you want. The next day, Jeffrey resumed his antics. He picked on me again. Pulled my hair, threw mud at me, and say nasty things at me. But I guess the reason I truly snapped that day was because he insulted Oshawott."

Juniper stood before a trembling Burnet, the dagger still in her hand. "That boy had a good house, a good family, and everything that I would've killed for. And he took it for granted. I got angry, Burnet. I did something he didn't expect me to do. I spit at his face and ran. But I didn't run like I'm running away from him. I was running so I could lead him to where I want him to be. Alone. In the forest."

She squatted down and stared into her friend's teary eyes. "All by himself. I was a scrawny kid, so it was easy for me to hide in the bushes. I knew the layout of the forest like the back of my hand. It was easy for me to lure Jeffrey into the nest of hungry Ursarings. I watched as he screamed for help while the Ursaring tore him apart. It was beautiful, Burnet. It didn't take long for him to become a pile of broken bones. I knew very well that if I were to do anything to Jeffrey, a frail and penniless girl like me would be prosecuted without a trial. The only way for me to escape murder is to make sure the dead disappeared."

Toying with her dagger, Juniper leaned closer to Burnet's neck and took in the scent of fear. "Do you understand now? The only way for someone to truly keep their mouth shut is to make sure they… disappear."

"Juniper… please. I-I'm begging you."

"Don't worry, Burnet. I won't kill you."

Burnet swallowed hard. "T-Thank you."

"Yes. Now, let us talk about the terms and conditions of the life that you have now forfeited to me."

"J-Juniper…"

Juniper grinned. "I have already lost a beloved friend, Burnet. Don't make me lose another one. Do you understand?"

The implication wasn't hard for Burnet to catch on.

"Use your words, Burnet."

"I-I understand. I… won't say it out. I will keep it to myself."

Juniper glared at Burnet for a good amount of time, and then a cheerful smile curled at her lips. "Good. Now, will you be so kind as to help me bury Philena?"

"W-What?"

"Oh?" Juniper cocked her brow. "You don't want to help me?"

"I-It's not that."

"Listen well, Burnet. You are an accomplice. You are as guilty as I am for letting Philena die like this. The least you can do is to help me bury her. Do you think we should chop her body into tiny pieces and feed it to her Gyarados or do you prefer your Munchlax to have some good… munch?"

Back in college days, Juniper was the bright student who was loved by many peers for her beauty and compassion. Burnet didn't know how cruel and twisted Juniper truly was. How could Juniper suggest to mutilate their friend's corpse and feed it to her friend's Pokemon? That kind of sick sense of humour almost made Burnet threw up her lunch. "P-Please, Juniper! Don't make me do this!"

Juniper's eyes became devoid of life. "I guess you want to join Philena then?"

"N-No…" Burnet broke into sobs as she averted her gaze.

Juniper had her fingers around Burnet's neck and gave it a threatening squeeze. "Then I suggest you start cooperating with me and do as I said."

"Y-Yes… Juniper."

X-o-X-o-X-

Nightfall in Route 29 wasn't as frightening as Clair thought. She could hear the soothing sound of Noctowl hooting from the distance and Ledyba chirping to the stars. The sense of security could also be contributed by Naruto's presence. Not so long ago, a half-naked Naruto was bathing in the lake and now she was struggling to get the vivid image of his dripping wet chiselled body that inspired Greek legends out of her noggin.

Moltres was well asleep beside the bonfire; the torture that she had gone through had tired her out.

"You're a Gym Leader, right?" Naruto asked while poking the fire with a twig.

Clair blinked. "How do you know about that?"

"Professor Faggot was talking about it like it was a big deal."

"It is a big deal." She puffed out her chest proudly. "I am the strongest Gym Leader in Johto. Trainers who want to challenge the Elite Four has to go through me first. I am the gatekeeper that weeds out the weakling, so that the Elite Four don't need to waste their time challenging pipsqueaks."

Naruto grinned. "That's some big claims you're making over there."

"Nothing to boast about, really." Clair looked all dignified, her eyes sparkling with pride. "Every region has a gatekeeper like me. In the Hoenn region, it's Juan. In Sinnoh, it's Volkner. In Unova, it's Drayden. Our duty is to ensure Pokemon trainers don't get in over their head. You should see some of them. They think they got seven badges means they're big shots. I put them down on a regular basis. Some of them quit because they couldn't get pass me."

"Whoa! That sounds badass."

Sniffing her nose and feeling her ego inflated, Clair smirked in triumph. "It's nothing, really. Gatekeepers like us are strong enough to be part of the Elite Four. We don't do it because…"

"Because you can't beat the Elite Four?"

"Not true!" Clair gritted her teeth. "I just…"

"You know, being dissatisfied with your current incompetence doesn't make you a liability." Naruto grinned. "Doing nothing about it does."

Clair snorted, folded her arms, and looked away. "That's rich of you to say that. You have it going for you. Cool, mysterious abilities. Great physique. A powerful Pokemon under your wing. You have it all."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Believe it or not, I was born nothing. I don't have parents to look up to. I don't have relatives to stay with. Hell, I have the approval rating of a dried turd. People think I'm a monster for what I am and I what I can do. Worse still, I was born a shorty. I was lacking everywhere. I'm not good at studying, I can't aim if my life depends on it, and I have no social skills. I'm pretty much born to be a little bitch."

"And how do you become what you are today?"

"By doing something about it and not be a little bitch."

Clair giggled. "You're really weird. At any rate, it's getting late. We should catch some sleep and continue our journey tomorrow morning."

"Yeah, let's."

Clair watched as Naruto took her sleeping bag, unfolded it, and crawled his way into it. "W-What are you doing? That's mine!"

"Sharing is caring, Clair." Naruto smiled.

Clair deadpanned. "You don't have a sleeping bag, right?"

"It's getting late. We should catch some sleep together!"

"Stop ignoring the question."

Naruto's eyes went sombre. "There are plenty of predatory Pokemon out there. Don't forget the creepy girl we met earlier is a Pokemon too. Who knows what they are doing. Maybe they are watching us as we speak."

At that, an unnerving chill crawled up her spine. She rubbed her hands and looked to her left and right frantically.

"But don't worry. With me around, you will be safe! But I can't protect you if we sleep in a different sleeping bag! I have to sleep in here with you to keep you safe! Believe it!"

"That is the most horrible pick-up line I've ever heard." But that didn't change the fact that Naruto has a point. That creepy girl was still out there and who knows what kind of bloodthirsty monsters were anxiously waiting to pounce on them. Naruto had proven himself to be some sort of monster repellent that ward off other monsters due to his dangerous presence. Staying close to him was the only option for her to survive in the woods.

"So, you coming in here with me or what?" Naruto still carry that smug grin, as if he had already won the debate.

"F-Fine! But if you try anything weird -"

"Don't be silly. If I want to try anything weird with you, I would have done that long ago and you won't even have any say to that."

"You're an asshole."

"A handsome asshole, but asshole nonetheless." He let out a yawn and closed his eyes. "Well, take your time. I'm gonna sleep now."

"W-Wait!" Clair hesitantly and reluctantly lifted the sheet and squirmed her way into the sleeping bag. She stifled a yelp when she felt his strong arms wrapped around her back, pushing her closely to his chest. "H-Hey!"

"You're warm." He took a good sniff at her hair, much to her chagrin. "And smell good too."

"Like I say, bad pick-up line."

"I don't need a pick-up line to get girls."

Clair hid her flustered face and grunted. "Overconfidence will be your downfall."

"Part of my charm." He quipped.

"And how do you propose we keep those dangerous Pokemon away when we're both asleep."

"I'm a light sleeper." Naruto replied like responding to a question about the weather.

"We'll be dead by then!"

"Aw, buckle-up. I already have clones scattered all over the forest. I'm hunting the creepy girl down as we speak."

"Liar."

Naruto cocked a brow. "Oh, you're calling me a liar?"

Clair growled. "I hate you so much."

"Don't worry and go to sleep. By morning, the creepy girl will be caught by me. Believe it."

* * *

 **Author Note: A few weeks ago, I went and watched IT. The movie gave me some inspiration to write this chapter.**

 **a. Genesect  
b. Rayquaza  
c. Mimikyu  
d. Sceptile (Popular)  
e. Tyranitar (Popular)  
f. Gardevoir (Popular)  
g. Absol  
h. Lucario (Very Popular)  
i. Zoroark (Popular)  
j. Ninetales/Alolan Ninetales (Popular)  
k. Greninja (Quite popular)  
l. Victini  
n. Gengar  
m. Meloetta  
o. Hydreigon (Popular)  
p. Dragonite (Popular)  
q. Deoxy (Popular)  
r. Charizard  
s. Mewtwo (Popular)  
t. Pheromosa  
u. Lapras  
v. Latias**

 **If you have any further suggestions about Naruto's Pokemon, drop a review and let me know. Don't PM.**

Pairing wise:  
1.) NarutoXCynthia  
2.) NarutoXSabrina  
3.) NarutoXKaren  
4.) NarutoXDiantha  
5.) NarutoXClair

 **Please drop a review to let me know what you think**


	4. Ain't No Monster Big Enough

To find a Pokemon in the woods was easier said than done. Naruto had an army of clones roaming the forest for hours, but he hadn't detect any anomaly yet. That creepy girl was good with stealth and hiding, that he had to hand it to her. However, she wasn't much of a threat than the other source of evil lurking within the bowel of the forest. He had smelled the putrid stench of death the moment he stepped into the forest; Satan's butt-hole smelled better than that.

Speaking of the devil, one of the clones glanced up and found the creepy girl standing upside-down on a tree trunk. "Leave this forest!"

Anybody would have soiled their pants, but a daredevil like Naruto who lived on the edge enjoyed thrills like this. "Suck my nuts, bitch!"

Blood was flowing down her eyes, her head was spinning around in circles, her face became demonically elongated, and her arms flew over her shoulders in a grotesque manner. "Leave!"

 _ **"Okay! She's hitting creepy level that shouldn't even be possible!"**_ Kurama barked. _**"That's some next level shit right there! We can't let her keep doing that shit any longer! I say we bring down a couple of meteors down, pull out a flamethrower, hold her sideways, and go all gangsta on that biatch! DO IT NOW BEFORE SHE STARTS CRAWLING TOWARDS US!"**_

Calming down the homicidal fox in his gut wasn't easy, especially when said fox was screaming bloody murder at the creepy girl – who was still spinning her head in hysteria. That being said, he was a ninja down to his bone, so regardless of how dire the situation may be, staying cool and collected was the key to victory… sixty percent of the time.

"I'll take a wild guess here. You're asking me to leave this forest because of that thing over there, right?"

He pointed a finger to his right.

The creepy girl turned to the direction he was pointing at and let out a deep growl.

Hypno stood beside an oak, one hand holding Driftloons and the other was swinging his pendulum. The moonlight cast a menacing shadow over Hypno's features, but there was no concealing his deranged-looking eyes. It grinned toothily at the creepy girl, as if recognising her.

 _ **"Whoa, freak-show over here is casting a massive genjutsu at us. It's affecting your senses."**_

 _"Yeah, I can feel him trying to get inside me."_ Naruto coughed. _"That sounds wrong in so many levels."_

 _ **"Don't worry. I'll pull him out real quick for you and make sure he doesn't come on you like that ever again."**_

 _"Ah! C'mon! Seriously? There is a time and place for puns and this is not the right time and place to do puns."  
_  
 _ **"There is always time and place to do puns and right now is the best time and place to do it!"**_

He groaned inwardly. _"Just keep him out. I'll pretend that he got me ensnared."_

Naruto could discern a bottomless pit of nefarious intent emanating from the yellow-skin creature. Putting two and two together, it wasn't rocket science to realise that the Hypno was responsible for all the missing children. Hell, he bet his fortune that the Hypno had eaten all those kids!

He turned to the creepy girl and grinned. "You've been playing dress-up just so you could warn us about that creepy-looking shit over there, no?"

The creepy girl glared intensely at Hypno, her fingers twitching madly. "Leave this forest!"

Much to Naruto's surprise, the yellow thing talked. "Is this how you speak to your father, Zoroark?"

At that, the creepy girl was basked in a bright pink light and morphed into a black fox with a lustrous magenta mane. It crouched in a battle stance, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.

"Have you forgotten your debt to me? Your parents were slaughtered by humans! I raised you when you were a mere Zorua. I fed you when you were hungry. I protected you when those pathetic humans try to harm you." Hypno's voice was hoarse, but laced with a mixture of venom. "And this is how you repay me? Trying to keep my prey away from me? Where is your filial piety, Zoroark? You will serve me like you should, stupid daughter."

Zoroark roared in defiance.

Hypno tilted its head. "What I did was wrong? No, Zoroark. Pyroar doesn't ask permission before it eats a Blitzle. Pyroar cannot talk and Blitzle will not listen. If you want something, you have to take it. Period. Humans drove our kind to extinction, leaving us to scavenge for scraps. It is only my right to take what's rightfully mine. This forest is my kingdom!"

To claim the forest as its own aggravated Zoroark. The forest belonged to nobody but Mother Nature itself. She wasn't blinded by the fact that her surrogate father had done heinous things and she wanted no part of it! Zoroark let out a seething growl, fury burning in her eyes.

"Why children you ask?" Hypno tilted its head. "Why not? They have the most delicious dreams you can ever imagine. I have to say – hunting children down like they were insects, watching them squirm as I gouge their eyes out, hearing them scream and beg, keeping them in their nightmare to feast on their dreams… Priceless!"

Naruto didn't hesitate to slam a Rasengan right into Hypno's face, sending it tumbling into the unforgiving ground. "Alright, fun time is over, pal. You are one sick fuck and I'm gonna kill your crazy ass RIGHT NOW!"

It was horrific to know that this creature fed off from the fear of children. The imagination of a child could be extremely vivid, so when Hypno took the shape of its victim's greatest fear, it could play with its food in the cruellest way. Such blasphemy was the reason why Naruto saw the Pokemon Association as a criminal organisation, which was hell-bent on throwing kids into the forest, knowing full well that dangers like these exist.

With a graceful leap, Zoroark landed before Naruto, her eyes narrowed.

"Stand aside, fox." Tendrils of raw energy flowed into Naruto's fingertips, allowing him to bring a bright fire into his palm. Zoroark wanted to settle this battle by herself, but she had no say in this matter. Even she knew the human that stood before her… was no human. "I won't ask twice."

It was then Moltres swept into the battlefield, bringing a rain of fire upon a startled Zoroark. With her incredible reflexes, she did multiple backward somersaults to avoid being incinerated by the torrent of flames. Naruto raised a brow, a grin tugged at his lips as Moltres landed right beside her master. "Oh? You want to join in the fun?"

The majestic firebird roared, her passion was burning the atmosphere.

"Good." Naruto nodded. "Keep the fox busy while I deal with the menace over there."

Much to Naruto's surprise, Zoroark transformed into Moltres's duplicate. It took off to the sky like a shooting star with Moltres on hot pursuit.

"What is your greatest fear, Naruto?" Hypno walked out from the shadows, the madness in its leer were gleaming a malicious crimson.

That got Naruto thinking. After a few seconds of musing, he shrugged. "I fear that I become so awesome that the world cannot handle it and implode."

"Is that so?" Even though Kurama was doing an excellent job warding off Hypno's illusion, it didn't stop Naruto from seeing the haunting image of Kaguya Otsutsuki before him. No matter how beautiful Kaguya was, at the end of the day, she was nothing but a monster who tore the world asunder. It made him froze to the ground, a cold chill crawled up his spine as he relived the terror of her reign. "It seems you do have fear. And a crippling one too."

It was without a doubt that Naruto still harbour some form of fear for Kaguya, but that fear was overwhelmed by his frustration, rage, hatred, and despair. The yellow bastard was oblivious to the fact that Naruto's fear didn't terrorise him. His fear only fuelled his entire being with untamed anger. Without warning, Naruto sped towards a surprised Hypno with a dagger in his grasp.

In an instance, Naruto closed the gap between him and the monster. With a swing of his blade, he sliced through an apparition of Hypno, much to his annoyance. "You got the guts to eat children, but don't have the guts to fight a grown man. What a cowardly prick."

Hypno was caught off-guard by how fast Naruto recovered from his fear. Nobody could bounce back to reality that fast.

"I think you're misunderstanding something. I'm not trapped in this forest with you!"

His eyes flashed a demonic red.

 **"You're trapped in here with me!"**

Extending his senses, he could feel the vibration of the forest. The bastard had painted layers of illusion all over the forest as a means for disorientating and entrapping its prey, but there was one miscalculation that was off.

Naruto was no prey.

In split-seconds, he glanced up and found Hypno hiding atop a tree branch. "Time to put you out of your misery."

"You fool!" Hypno spat, rage was gleaming from his blood-shot eyes. "You think of me as a monster? What a joke! Incorrigible humans!" He said it with venom soaked in his tone. "Your kind knows nothing but war and carnage! Humans have been exploiting us as your weapons for centuries! You sent children to hunt for us! And when you captured us, you force us to do battles for your sick, twisted pleasure! We have no say as you force us to hurt our brethren. Does that not sound familiar to you?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes as he watched the bastard ranted heatedly. "No. It doesn't." He raised one finger. "First of all, I ain't from this world, so whatever the humans did in this world is none of my business." He hoisted two fingers. "Secondly, I ain't a kid." His third finger rose. "And most of all, what humans did to your kind does not excuse you from eating children and feasting on their fear. What you did -"

"What I did?" Hypno growled. "If it wasn't for me, most of the Pokemon living in this forest would have gone extinct or captured by some good-for-nothing kid! I brought liberation! I brought peace! It is your kind – the murderous filth of his planet – that are the villains! Humans are the bane of our existence! So what if I ate those pathetic, mewling children? They deserve to die! All of you deserve to die!"

Much to Hypno's chagrin, Naruto snapped his fingers and thumb together repeatedly to form a mouth gesture. "I'm hearing too much yapping from you. Ain't nobody got time debating this shit with you. See you in hell."

"N-No!"

No fancy techniques. No explosions. No gimmick.

Naruto was faster than a speeding bullet.

It was over before Hypno could react. A fluid slash was all it was required to behead the monstrosity, putting an end to its terror. Naruto watched as Hypno's decapitated corpse fell from the tree and crashed into the pool of mud. Barely acknowledging his kill, he gazed up and exclaimed. "Oi! Moltres! I'm done here! Wrap it up! I gotta go back to sleep!"

With a raging and triumphant roar, Moltres spat out a smothering inferno that overwhelmed her startled foe.

X-o-X-o-X-

It wasn't every day for Clair to wake up and see a seething Zoroark tied to a tree, struggling to no avail as it tried to get out of its binds. As usual, the happy-go-lucky Naruto was roasting a… Farfetch'd?! Ew! Gross! Clair was a vegetarian and could never bring herself to eat a Pokemon. She looked away and tried to focus her attention at the growling Zoroark. "Er, let me take a wild guess here. That is the creepy little girl?"

"Yep!" Jolly and satisfied, Naruto petted his equally happy Moltres on her head. "Hey, breakfast is ready! Ya wanna try this duck I killed? It was harassing me earlier, so I broke its neck. Its meat smells so good though."

"No! And stop telling me those graphic details! I don't want to know what you did to that poor Pokemon!" Clair folded her arms and fumed to herself. She could never condone the act of murdering Pokemon. There is no but to that. Don't even try and argue with her. "You could have just grabbed some berries! They are nutritious and more environmental friendly!"

Naruto looked at Moltres. They both turned dreadful quiet. And then they turned to Clair and chortled like maniacs. "Berries? Are you out of your frigging mind? Do I look like a bum to you? Wait. Don't answer that."

"It's called a healthy, vegetarian diet!"

The laughter in Naruto's face comically changed into a sombre one. "V-Vagi… talion? W-What is that? I have never heard about that word before."

Moltres snickered.

Clair blew a raspberry at Naruto and folded her sleeping bag. "Do I want to know what you did to this Pokemon?"

"Long story short, her father is responsible for eating stupid children who roam in this stupid forest in the middle of a stupid night." Naruto took a bite of his perfectly cooked meat and shared it with Moltres. "I killed her father. Cut his head off and hanged it at the entrance of the forest. You can't miss it. Now I have her captured. She's my Pokemon! Ho! Ho! Ho!"

Shaking her head, Clair lifted her bag. "That's not how you catch a Pokemon, Naruto! You need to throw a Pokeball at her."

Brows furrowed, Naruto gibed. "Why should I imprison a Pokemon against its free will? You don't see me doing that to Moltres."

"It's always convenient for you. Travelling with a bunch of Pokemon is intimidating and stressful, really."

"Then don't catch so much Pokemon! Simple. Problem solved." Naruto said it like he had solved the world's greatest mystery. "Wanting to have more Pokemon and taking care of all those Pokemon are two different things. You need to give them emotional support. You need to feed them. Bathe them. Shower them with love and make sure you don't have favourites. Yikes. Lots of hard work. Ain't my thing. I'm gonna let her go once I'm done messing with her."

Clair deadpanned. "Use a Pokeball. It can save all your trouble. Not that hard to understand."

Suddenly, the bush rustled. Reacting to instinct, Naruto unsheathed his dagger, ready to pounce at a moment's notice. A Rhydon burst out from the shrubs, its bulky frame was caught in a net.

BANG!

The deafening gunshot startled Naruto and Clair. A few men – who were clearly up to no good – emerged from the woods, laughing at the moaning Rhydon that they had just shot. Horror marred on Clair's beauteous face. How barbaric! The Rhydon was already ensnared by the net! Why shot it? With great anger, Clair stood up and pointed a finger at the ruffians. "What are you?"

"We're poachers." The giant of a man pumped his shotgun and flaunted his weapon warily. "And I suggest you walk away and leave your Moltres with us."

That struck a raw nerve. The audacity of these men! Clair wouldn't have it! "No way! You think we'll just leave our precious Pokemon to creeps like you?"

Another goon took a step forward, shifting himself so that Naruto and Clair could see the revolver stashed on his belt. "Then perhaps you will like to stay too and keep us company, little missy."

Naruto's blood boiled when the poachers with the baseball cap squatted down and cruelly sawed off the incapacitated Rhydon's horns, leaving a macabre and bloody mess out of the Pokemon's head. Flesh and gore spilled out from the squirming Rhydon's wound, horrifying Clair in the process. In a fit of rage, she reached out for her Pokeball, but her wrist was caught by Naruto.

"Seems like your boyfriend has some brains in that pretty face of his. Too bad though. You won't be having a Pokemon soon." The poachers snickered. "Now hand over what you have."

Clair gritted her teeth. "Or what?"

The goon in a torn flannel shirt and shotgun grinned. "Or we empty two shotgun shells into your boyfriend's head. And then we take your Pokemon. And we'll take you too. You'll be pleasing us every night after that, little missy. Your choice, bitches."

Scratching the back of his scalp, Naruto strolled casually towards the poachers, who grew vigilant at his temerity. The way he fixated his cold, murderous glare at the poachers were unnerving, even for Clair.

"Stay back!"

"Oi!"

"I'm warning you!" The poacher aimed their weapons at the dauntless blond, who picked up a sledgehammer from the poacher's haphazard pile of blunt tools. "Put it down, motherfu-"

In an instance, hell broke loose! Naruto smacked away the revolver aimed at his forehead and smashed the sledgehammer into the back of the poacher's knee, effectively and efficiently shattering his victim's shinbone. Screams of agony was all the poacher could manage as he crumbled to the floor, writhing and sobbing.

Panic and trepidation overwhelmed the rest of the poachers. The one with the shotgun was about to fire his rounds at Naruto, but he didn't see the head of the sledgehammer coming his way. His jawbone was brutally crushed and the world went spiralling for him. Without hesitation, Naruto slammed down his bloodied hammer right into his victim's skull, cracking his head open like a watermelon.

Adrenaline was fuelling Naruto as he sidestepped a reckless assault from the thickly-built bastard with the baseball cap. Said bastard's arm was shaking, his vision was jarred, but the grip over his dagger was tight, so tight that his fingernails were digging bloody trenches on his palm. "S-Stay away from me, you fucking psychopath!"

"How does it feel to be the victim? How does it feel to be at the bottom of the food-chain?"

It was do or die for the poacher. With blind rage, he charged at Naruto, but his foolhardy attempt to stab the blond ended swiftly when his stomach was bashed right in by the sledgehammer. He keeled over, vomiting blood all over the sodden soil as searing pain struck his senses. Channelling the last ounce of his strength, he swung his dagger at Naruto, who effortlessly caught his offending hand, snapped his wrist, and delivered a devastating blow with the sledgehammer right into his nose.

Naruto's rampage wouldn't had stopped if Clair didn't rush to him and enwrapped her arms around his waist, calming the beast within him. "Please stop! Naruto! You're scaring me!"

"Let go of me, Clair. These pieces of shit don't deserve to live! Let me bring them to their makers!"

"It is not our call to make, Naruto!" Clair bellowed into Naruto's chest. "You can't kill them like this! Hand them over to the police!"

"They just threaten us with rape and murder! And they sure as hell were about to do just that!" Naruto pointed a finger at the mutilated Rhydon and growled. "Did you even see what they did to the Pokemon? I might not give a shit about this world, but I know those assholes need to be put down."

Clair glanced up and to her horror, all she saw were the eyes of a stone cold killer. No mercy. No emotion. No hesitation. Just blind fury and a desire to make things dead. No! She can't let him be this way! "Killing human beings is wrong! If you murder a murderer, the number of murderers in this world doesn't drop. It remains the same, Naruto! Let the law decides their fate! Please!"

At that, he snorted. "If I murder ten murderers, I'm sure the numbers will drop a whole lot more."

"You're not listening! You're not above the law."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "I kill those who need killing."

Clair was in disbelief. How could someone who was capable of being compassionate and kind be so cold when it came to the topic of taking a person's life? The irony was baffling for Clair. "Have you ever doubt yourself, Naruto? When you kill someone?"

"Like I said, I kill those who deserve killing. I don't doubt it. Not even for a second." Naruto brushed past her shoulders and stalked predatorily towards the groaning poachers with the broken leg. At this moment, he was a walking death machine, marching towards to deliver righteous punishment and bring the day of reckoning upon the wicked.

"I'm not done with you yet!" Clair grabbed Naruto's wrist to halt his steps and she stood before him. "What about second chances? Huh? What about hope?"

Naruto scoffed, his sledgehammer resting on his shoulder. "Oh, for cry out loud, are we talking about Easter Bunny here? You want to talk about some make-believe, huh? You want to know what I think. I think this world is downright insane. I think the police ain't gonna amount to anything if your government allows children to hunt Pokemon for sports! I think this world needs someone tough to give it a good wake-up call! Your law ain't gonna do shit to scums like these!"

"That is not for you to decide! You talk about judging evil, but I see the real world, Naruto. Redemption exists! These people may have done some stupid shit. Maybe they are evil. But I believe there are goodness in their heart, maybe just a little. If you kill them now, all those possibility will be gone. That possibility of them becoming good. To do better! To try! Everybody deserve a second chance!"

"To do what? Slaughter Pokemon, defile the innocent and rape women?" Naruto's voice became deep and dark and his eyes were blazing red with hatred, petrifying Clair in the process. "No, I believe they need no saving. I believe there are monsters like them who deserve to die!"

"Then what about you?" Clair was mustering her courage to stand up against the ferocity of Naruto's cruel gaze. "What happen if someday someone decides that you deserve to die?"

A snarky and sinister grin curled up at his lips. "Then I hope that someone better make sure I die or there will be hell to pay."

"Put that hammer down, Naruto! Do it or I'm done!" Clair cried out. "I'm done! You hear me? If you kill him, I'll leave you! Nobody is gonna escort you to Sinnoh! You'll get lost and… and die!"

Naruto turned around, dragged his sledgehammer across the floor, and started humming a nefarious tune. At that moment, he was a hungry vulture, blood drunk and ready to kill himself some poachers.

"Who made you a monster, Naruto?" Clair clenched her fist, tears were swelling from her eyes. "Answer me!"

He looked behind his shoulders and raised the sledgehammer. "War made me a monster."

"If you can't believe in redemption, then there is something truly broken inside you. Put down the hammer." Clair plead, her voice desperate and hoarse. "Please, Naruto. I'm begging you. Please stop this."

The maelstrom of rage and confusion in him somewhat subsided and his eyes were no longer radiating fire.

"Do it… for me."

Loosening his grip over the sledgehammer, Naruto heaved in a deep breath. "Do you know what the worst part about war is?"

Clair swallowed hard, a mixture of relief and sorrow stirring in her heart as she studied Naruto's back.

"Watching all the people you care about died." Naruto let out a hollow laugh. "Nope. I take that back. That's not the worst part. The worst part is… I didn't die with them."

With that, Naruto tossed the bloodied sledgehammer away and walked to the squirming Rhydon. Flesh and bones could be seen on the Pokemon's snout; the wound was too severe to be healed. Heaving out a sigh, Naruto decided to give the Rhydon some semblance of mercy.

In a blink of an eye, his hand shot out and pierced through armour and thick skin, obliterating the Rhydon's brain in an instance.

Clair shrieked indignantly and stormed towards Naruto. "W-What are you doing? Why did you do that?"

"This Pokemon was in great pain. And it's dying. There is no way we can bring it to the nearest medical centre in time to patch it up. Killing it is the only way to end its misery."

She hit his chest, denying the truth with tears in her eyes. "N-No! Don't say that!"

"Look at it, Clair! Tell me the Rhydon can be saved!" It was cruel of Naruto to break Clair out of her shell of innocence, but he wouldn't want her to be naïve and oblivious about this monstrous world she lived in. He made her looked at the grotesque corpse. Nay! He made her looked at reality! "That Pokemon has half of its skull bashed open. It can't be saved. Death is its only reward. Thanks to the poachers, that is."

Naruto went and collected their belongings. "Call the police. Do whatever you want. I'm getting out of here."

* * *

 **Author Note: So… I received a lot of shit from the previous chapter. I should have expected it. Many of you said it was dark. I thought it was funny. Edgy, I know. And I think I lost quite a lot of readers because of it. Haha… ha… *try not to cry but cry very hard* Think of it this way. Humans enslave Pokemon to do their bidding. I will not deny that some of them are good people, but give a ten year old a dragon that can spit fire and guarantee me that the child will not abuse it. Somehow, people accept that and don't think it is cruel. What Hypno did is cruel, no lie, but I think as a villain, he too has a reason for his cruelty.**

 **Anyway, I am unclear if I should give Naruto another legendary Pokemon. If so, I am inclined to go with one of these:**

 **Rayquaza**

 **Mewtwo**

 **Pheromosa**

 **Deoxy**

 **Latias**

 **If Naruto should have more Pokemon, I want it to hold true to Naruto's character. I think Zoroark symbolises his darkness and his way of the ninja. Moltres is his will of the fire. If you're Naruto, what Pokemon do you think best reflect his ideals? I'm not going to give him a Greninja because that frog is a ninja. It must be of a great cause, you know? Argh! This is harder than I thought. You guys have great ideas and have given me tons of it. I'm just trying to process it. Gengar, Charizard, Gardevoir, Hydreigon, Dragonite, Greninja, Sceptile, Absol, and Arcanine. They are good choices, but I can't pick all of them, ya know.**

Pairing:  
1.) NarutoXClair  
2.) NarutoXCynthia  
3.) NarutoXKaren  
4.) NarutoXSabrina

 **Please show me some love, support this story, and REVIEW!**


	5. Dystopia

"I'm not crazy!" Cynthia bellowed. "There is a conspiracy out there! Something dark that the Pokemon Association is trying to sweep under the rug!"

Professor Carolina was too old for this shit. Messing around with the Pokemon Association was akin to signing your death warrants. Nobody, and Professor Carolina didn't care who or what you might be, but nobody fucks with the Pokemon Association and gets away with it. There was a reason why an organisation could take control and brainwash the world unopposed. Their influences were like the illuminati, their powers unchallenged, and their authority absolute.

"You just became Sinnoh's Pokemon Champion! I won't let you wander off to Johto! That is final!"

"In the past five years, the Pokemon Association has been urging children and trainers alike to capture legendary Pokemon!" Cynthia was seething behind her teeth. "We are talking about Pokemon that can reshape our planet! Lugia! Kyogre! Yveltal! It was their territorial and solitary nature that stopped them from destroying us! If the Pokemon Association were to turn them into weapons of mass destruction, they will send all of us back to the stone edge!"

This was getting out of hand! Headstrong and self-righteous as she might be, Cynthia was in over her head. Professor Carolina's children had long passed; she practically raised her granddaughter on her own. No parents would send their children off on a suicidal path. "Enough! I will not tolerate your wilfulness! What hubris did you cook up with to give you such a thought? Mind your own business and do your job!"

"You are not fooling anybody here, grandma!" Cynthia pointed a finger at her phone, rage and frustration marred her beautiful features. "I was on the phone with Philena just a few weeks ago! We were debating about this matter! She told me that she wanted to think about it and that she will call me. And guess what? She never responded! She's gone, grandma! Something is happening out there!"

The arrogance and naivety of humanity was thinking that Pokemon could be controlled, but the Pokemon Association thought otherwise. At the end of the day, Pokemon were… tools. And tools were meant to be exploited. At least, that was what Professor Carolina was taught. Cynthia was running into the lion's den and there was no way her grandmother was going to let her do it.

"If you dare leave Sinnoh, I will report it to headquarters. Your negligence to your duty will give the Pokemon Association enough reasons to strip you off your title, your privilege, and everything that you have worked hard for! Don't make me do this, Cynthia!"

Cyntha gasped, staring in disbelief at her grandmother. To think that her grandmother would go so far just to stop her. No! There was something terribly off about this and she couldn't sit well with it. "Do what you have to do, grandmother."

"CYNTHIA!" The professor barked, startling her granddaughter. Not once in Cynthia's life had she seen her grandmother yelled at her. "I forbid you from going! Do you hear me? You have no idea what's coming if you do this!"

Stubborn. Strong-willed. Stupid. Cynthia might be all those things, but a coward she was not. She knew what was at stake here. Going against the Pokemon Association was downright suicidal, but she had to find Philena and get to the bottom of this. Philena was like a sister to her, someone she could confide to. There was no way Philena would go MIA on her and leave her hanging. "I have to do this, grandmother."

"This is your paranoia talking!"

Cynthia growled. "I know what I'm doing! Philena is missing and I need to know the truth!"

"You will gamble everything you have for a friend?"

"Philena is family!" Cynthia shot a disgusted look at her grandmother. "If the situation were reversed and you're the one who went missing, I will throw my life away in a heartbeat just to get you back! I will fight the Pokemon Association if I have to! You were the one who taught me this! You talk about doing the right thing! About putting blood first!"

"I am putting blood first!" Professor Carolina didn't back down so easily, at least not without a fight. "You are my family! My blood! Philena? What is she? She is just my junior. A colleague. Your acquaintance, at best! Forget about her. Forget about some make-belief conspiracy that you cooked up on a whim! Concentrate on your work! Be the Pokemon Champion that you always want to be! End of discussion."

Words couldn't describe how disappointed Cynthia was. Her proud and no-nonsense grandmother was fearful of the Pokemon Association. How the mighty had fallen. But Cynthia knew herself better. If her desire to investigate the Pokemon Association had led to Philena's disappearance, then she would never be able to sleep soundly at night. "I will renounce my title tomorrow morning. Whether you like it or not, I am leaving."

X-o-X-o-X-

For the umpteen time, Naruto dangled a cherry between his fingers, enticing the bound Zoroark to eat it. Of course, when Zoroark attempted to sneak a bite, Naruto would toss it aside and made silly faces at the fuming fox. Hell, even Moltres joined in the fun, teasing a hapless Zoroark relentlessly. Like master, like Pokemon. After all, bamboozling beats being bamboozled.

"You really need to stop being an asshole to that poor Zoroark." Clair shook her head at Naruto's antics. For a veteran killer, he sure acted like an overgrown child. "I think you should -"

"It doesn't matter what you think!" Naruto snapped. "I'm a certified grade-A asshole who whoops people's asses for less. Besides, I caught her. Her life is forfeited to me the day she got her candy ass delivered to me on a silver platter."

By now, Clair was used to Naruto's crazed outburst, but he had his fill. This was just gratuitous. "You know she was just trying to protect us by scaring us off. She might be creepy, but she has a good heart, Naruto. Quit being a dick to her and free her. Now!"

"Yes mom!" Rolling his eyes, Naruto unsheathed a dagger strapped from his boot and sliced the ropes. The moment Zoroark was freed, she pounced at Naruto with vengeance, but it wasn't something unanticipated. Faster than what a naked eye could perceive, Naruto grabbed Zoroark by her snout and tossed her over his shoulder. Branding a knife on Zoroark's throat, Naruto snickered. "Look at me, little foxy. Hey. Look at me."

Begrudgingly, Zoroark stared into Naruto's soulless blue eyes. Those were eyes that had killed plenty. "Now, I am not your everyday goody-two-shoe cunt you can try your luck with. I have every intention to release you back to your forest. You can continue scaring kids off. Protect the environment. Yada, yada. You do you, that's all I'm asking. This is me doing you a favour, because I know what it's like growing up in a hellhole. Believe me. So, as a token of my respect and empathy, I am going to release you on a count of three. If you try something funny with me, I will slit your gullet open. Do we have a deal?"

If looks could kill, Zoroark would have burned two fiery holes into Naruto's sockets. But, as it stood, there was no getting out of this. Conceding to her predicament, Zoroark nodded.

"One."

Clair was unnerved by how tense the situation was.

"Two."

Zoroark swallowed her anxiousness.

"Three."

Naruto climbed to his feet, pocketed his dagger, and turned to Clair, offering her a brilliant smile like as if he didn't just threaten to murder Zoroark. "Alright, let us leave this depressing forest. I still need to get to Sinnoh, remember?"

Zoroark let out a shriek and folded her legs, her downtrodden eyes cast on the floor. Clair knew that look. When a Pokemon had identified its destined partner, it knew, from its heart of hearts, that it was prudent to be subservient for the sake of accumulating strength. Prideful as Zoroark was, even she knew she would learn heaps from Naruto. Hell, even a Caterpie could become strong under Naruto's tutelage.

"Naruto, I think Zoroark wants to go with you." It made perfect sense to Clair; despite Zoroark's rough upbringing, it was her nature to stick in a pack. Solitude did not bode well with Zoroark after all. "Perhaps she can tag along with us."

Zoroark's face lit up, hope sparkling in her eyes.

"Nah, I'll pass." Naruto dismissed.

Zoroark deflated.

Moltres snickered.

"But why?" Clair stared incredulously at Naruto. Zoroark had so much potential; anybody would kill just to be her trainer.

"Why what?" Raising three fingers, Naruto stared solemnly at Clair. "One, I don't intend to stay in this world for long." He curled his index finger. "Two, I already have Moltres. One Pokemon is one too many." He curled his ring finger, which left his upright middle finger. "And three, I know next to nothing about caring for a Pokemon. The fact that Moltres is still alive is a miracle."

"It's not fair for Zoroark!" Clair protested fervently. "She never asked to be raised by a monster! Why can't you just show some compassion to her?"

"Not sure if you notice, but I'll let you in on a secret." Naruto's voice was as frigid as the cold wind. "Life is never fair since day one. Grow up."

Clair couldn't have any of it. She stormed towards Naruto and pushed his inhumanly large chest. It was like pushing a boulder. Unmovable. Powerful. But Clair didn't care. She hammered her fists on his chest. "You can't possibly believe that!"

"I can believe that because life wasn't fair for me. I went through things that would cripple you mentally." Naruto looked over his shoulder, his cold gaze made Zoroark's blood run cold. "I can't call myself an expert when it comes to understanding this world, because I don't. But I know it lacks morality. The people have relinquished their freedom when they are more than happy to embrace a regime that make them throw their children into forests infested with bloodthirsty monsters like your father. You know what that means? It means this world is inherently fucked up. Are you sure you want to leave this shithole for another?"

It was then Zoroark understood. She had been living in the forest for her whole life, not knowing what was out there. To venture to uncharted territory was to face insurmountable odds. Could she take up the challenge? Was she ready to climb to new heights? Stuck in a cyclical hell of forging her own destiny, it didn't occur to her that sometimes the path might find her instead.

"The truth is, you are not ready. Nobody is." Naruto finished harshly. "Give up."

As for Clair, she believed she had seen enough. Grabbing Naruto by his bicep, she glanced up at him, fire blazed in her eyes. "I know you went through some crazy shit, okay? I'm not going to tell you that I can understand your pain, because I don't. But don't you dare justify your cruelty with your own weakness. Who are you to tell her to give up? Huh?"

Frankly, Clair didn't know what had driven her to be bold enough to stand up against a man-killing machine. Part of her was screaming at her to flee. Get away from this monster! Even Moltres was glaring murderously at her. But her faith rooted her to the ground. Deep down, she knew Naruto was a good man. Broken, yes, but a good man nonetheless. He wouldn't hurt her.

"Yes, ma'am." Naruto mellowed down and his mask of indifference cracked. "I could get a drink though when we reach Cherrygrove City. Please tell me they have a bar there."

Zoroark climbed to her feet and stood up straight. If she wanted to be stronger, then she must be ready to take up new challenges. It's do or die for her.

"I ain't gonna stop you if you want to follow me. Choice is yours." Naruto lifted his bag and spun around. "Let's get moving."

Clair giggled and beckoned Zoroark to follow them. "Come on, don't be shy. He may look like an asshole, but if you know him well, he's pretty much a Teddiursa."

"I have no idea what a Teddiursa is, but I take offense to that!"

X-o-X-o-X-

Blue sky, summer breeze, and a tang of summer blue would have made a perfect day for Clair, provided she ignored the incessant bickering between Zoroark and Moltres. It had been three days since their travel and Clair was already on edge. Naruto didn't even care. Hell, he seemed to be amused by the fact that his Pokemon was annoying her, so screw him. Turning sharply to Zoroark and Moltres, Clair glowered. "Will the two of you shut up for one minute?"

At first, Clair thought she had gotten through the two Pokemon, whom stopped screeching and stared through her skin. It was unnerving, but Clair stood her ground. She was a Dragon Tamer for the love of Arceus! And then they resumed their antics, this time louder and rowdier. Clair shot Naruto a frustrated look. "Are you not going to do something?"

Naruto chuckled.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh." He deadpanned.

"I'm being serious, Naruto! You need to learn how to control your Pokemon!"

"How am I going to do that? Tape their mouths? But I have no tapes, so that's a no. Sew their mouths shut, perhaps? Then people might wonder why there are two Pokemon roaming around without their mouths." Naruto sniffed. "Anyway, let's make haste. The sooner we leave this forest, the better. We just crossed two hills and all we have are gigantic, poisonous bugs trying to get us. If I don't know any better, I'll say I'm in a horror movie."

"Don't forget the giant Bunya pines that weigh more than ten kilogram. If it falls and hit you, you're dead." Clair chirped as if the notion of being killed by a random tree was an everyday occurrence. Well, Naruto wouldn't be killed by an avalanche of pines, but he wouldn't be able to say the same thing for the average Joe. At the very least, there should be a sign that warned any passer-by about the looming danger.

Naruto sighed. "It bothers me that you're not bothered by what you just said."

"It's the way of life here. Get used to it."

"Right. Say the woman who ask me to tone down my sociopathic tendency."

"Your sociopathic tendency leads to violence and murder."

"Tell me, Clair, how do the people around towns say about the Pokemon Association?"

Clair raised a brow. "How does that have to do with anything?"

"Because the way I see it, everything here revolves around Pokemon. The hospital. The friggin' police. Even your television. And above all else, the Pokemon Association rules them all. Bunch of sunken cunts masquerading dictatorship for the greater good, if I have to be blunt. Expect a light at the end of the tunnel – that's what they sell and Pokemon trainers like you are the preachers."

Right. Clair almost forgot that this stone-cold murderer liked to spout philosophy. A know-it-all who thought he was better than everybody else. Truthfully, Clair was getting sick of it. "You see that? Your attitude. Not everybody in this world is an arsehole, okay? The people here try their best to bond well with Pokemon. You can't fault everybody just because of a bunch of rotten apples."

Naruto almost scoffed. "See, preachers encourage your capacity for illusion and sell you that as a virtue. There is always a buck to be had. Don't believe me? You had kids running around with cheap equipment, catching dangerous things in the forest, and give them away for free to your Pokemon Association. That, my friend, is cheap labour at its finest. And when somebody questions that endless loop of depravity, you have educated academics and professionals coaxing kids that it is all for glory. That each and every kid is doing God's work. The lucky ones grow up and become the preachers. The stupid ones get eaten. And the whole cycle repeats again."

The infuriating thing about Naruto wasn't his cynicism or his inability to see the good in everything, but his fondness for seeing things the way they were. "I wonder how you get up in the morning to do what you do."

"I'm just not that kind of guy who stands still, that's how."

Clair sighed. "Is that why you're always searching for a fight?"

"A fight is coming, whether I like it or not. I am the outsider who is looking at this world from the microscope. There is something wrong with your world, Clair. And when words get out, I'm sure people would want to shut me up. Forever. Can't have an outsider talking treasons in broad daylight, no?"

"Treason? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Complacency, Clair. Dictatorship requires obedience. And to cultivate obedience, you need to give people something to distract themselves from reality. I don't see eye-to-eye with the Pokemon Association. And I'm sure anybody who does won't get to see the next sunrise. But I'm not here to start a revolution. I just want to get into Sinnoh, find the Pokemon that can bring me back into my shithole, and call it a day. All the shit that is happening here is none of my business."

"Keep telling yourself that, Naruto. You like to play yourself off as the sceptical outsider, but deep down we both know you're full of shit. If you didn't care about anything, you wouldn't go as far as to kill that Hypno in the forest and help Zoroark."

"What can I say?" A suave yet aggravating grin plastered on Naruto's face. "I'm a hypocritical asshole. I believe I've established that since day one, yeah?"

Clair also knew he was a good man, but she wasn't going to feed his already inflated ego. "Well, we're here. Welcome to Cherrygrove City."

The path sloped through a head-high swatch of bushes and tangled underbrush, a perfect hideout for small Pokemon. It narrowed and, just ahead, was an arch made of whitewashed bricks. Written on it in faded red paint were the words: Cherrygrove City.

"Alright, let's get this over with. What's the plan?"

"Cherrygrove City is still a few miles ahead. We'll settle in for the day at a hotel then hike up the mountain come tomorrow morning."

There was a loud honk, a motor winding down, and a red convertible pulling up right beside them. How convenient, Naruto mused.

"Need a ride?"

Clair recognised the voice and her eyes lit up. "Professor Juniper? What are you doing here?"

Professor Juniper grinned and tilted her sunglasses, her attention landed on the man with lode-gold hair and peppered stubble. From his angular cheekbones to his chiselled physique, everything about him spelled heartbreaker. And that made Juniper curious. Usually, folks tend to ease up in her presence, but not him. He was leery. Why was that, she wondered? "I happened to be passing by. I thought you would be in Blackthorn City."

"Long story. Oh, this is Naruto. Naruto, this is Professor Juniper from Unova."

Naruto nodded, barely acknowledging Juniper. Clair wasn't surprised, since Naruto didn't take well to new faces even under the best of circumstances.

Trying to diffuse the awkwardness in the air, Clair chuckled. "We can really use a ride into the city. It was a long day for us."

"I bet." Juniper smiled. "Hop in. There's some room in the backseat. You might want to keep your Pokemon in the Pokeball though."

"No." Naruto turned to Moltres and patted her beak. "Go on, girl. Fly high and follow the car. Zoroark, you stick with me."

The firebird shot the fox a dirty glare before she extended her glorious wings and took off. Clair climbed her way to the front seat while Naruto and Zoroark opted for the back. Ahead of them was a wide mown patch winding up through the copse of trees and over the hill, leading to Cherrygrove City. For the next ten minutes, save for the rev of the engine, they sat in silence.

After they topped the second hill, they could see a jungle of glass, concrete, and steel. Another fancy farm that raised cattle, Naruto thought, except the shepherds were the Pokemon Professors and the cattle were naïve and gullible children. That's clever, really. Instil propaganda to the populous long enough and everybody would treat lies as norm. Naruto could taste aluminium and ash in his mouth, a bad omen for things to come.

"It isn't every day you get to see a trainer with a Legendary Pokemon. Where are you from, Naruto?" Professor Juniper smiled at her rear-view mirror, hoping to garner the aloof man's attention. Legendary Pokemon were the alphas of their species; to tame one was to tame a natural disaster. It was just inconceivable to do so.

"I'm from somewhere far. A boat won't get you there."

"A plane, perhaps?"

Naruto shrugged. "So, you're a professor. Which means you major in something?"

"I have a PhD in Molecular Biology and Genetics, specifically in Pokemon's physiology."

"Right." He quirked a smirk. "And you seem proud of that achievement."

"We should all be a little proud of our milestones, don't we?"

It was then Naruto let out a loud yawn, which was contagious enough to affect Clair and Zoroark, but not Juniper. That was something that piqued his interest. Yawning was like a virus – it spreads to those who could empathise. This meant Juniper was a possible narcissist with a lack of empathy. A sociopath, perhaps? Of course, he might arrive to a crude conclusion based on hubris, but his gut was right most of the time.

"Yeah, we should."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I dare say that you're a man on a journey."

"Are we all not on a journey?"

Juniper tilted her head, her eyes occasionally darted to her rear-view mirror. "Yes, but this one seems to be dead-set on finding something. A specific Pokemon, perhaps?"

"He's going to Sinnoh to seek out Dialga and Palkia." Clair interjected almost enthusiastically, much to Naruto's chagrin. If there was something Naruto loathed more than pineapple, it would be his private affairs being spilled out casually. That being said, the cats were out of the bag, so no point covering it up.

"Ah. Are you there to catch them? Believe it or not, I did a paper on Palkia once. Truth be told, it was hard to do any research on Palkia. The Pokemon proved to be very evasive, but one thing was certain. It could warp space and make black holes. Do you know what black hole is?" Juniper didn't give Naruto an opportunity to answer. "It consumes matter, sucks it in, and crushes it beyond existence. When I came across such a phenomenon, I thought that's evil in its purest form. Something that drags you in, crushes you, and makes you nothing."

Naruto levelled a glare at Juniper through her rear-view mirror. "I love to talk about nothing. It's the only thing I know anything about."

"Do you believe in evil, Naruto?"

He scoffed. "I have to. Hard to not believe in it, especially after what I have seen."

"So what have you seen?"

Sharp and tactful were something Naruto would describe Juniper. Discerning the fact that Naruto had made it blatantly clear he wasn't keen to disclose anything about himself to her, she came up ways to make him talk. Quick-witted, this one. "My line of work requires me to get my hands dirty."

"Oh? Do you happen to be a detective?"

"Nothing grand like that. Would you believe me if I say I'm a ninja."

At that, Juniper chortled. "I don't suppose I would. So, are you intending to capture Palkia?"

"No, I'm intending to inject a straw into its spine and suck its marrow out. I heard Palkia's bone marrow fetch quite a decent amount of money in the market."

Clair let out a nervous chuckle. "He didn't mean that."

"Why will I lie about something like that?"

"Why wouldn't you?"

For unexplained reasons, Naruto was gifted with the uncanny ability to judge a person's character by instinct. He could pick out assholes in a crowd if he honed his senses. If the universe were to tell him that Professor Juniper was dangerous, then he would play his cards with caution. "Are you gonna keep driving that thing or are we gonna keep playing twenty questions?"

"I think what Naruto is trying to say is that he values his privacy." Clair smiled apologetically at the professor, who didn't seem to be offended by Naruto's crude remark. Hell, she was more amused than offended. "I'm so sorry about Naruto. He isn't really a people person, you know? You'll get used to him once you get to know him better."

"Of course." A small grin curled up at Juniper's lips.

X-o-X-o-X-

The skyscrapers in Cherrygrove City all looked eerily identical – acres of glass strung together with shiny steel and the logo of the Pokemon Association hung at the top floor. Cameras were everywhere too. Each corner of a street had at least two. It was as if the whole city was under constant surveillance. When the car swerved over into the parking lot of a redwood motel, Naruto snapped out of his thoughts.

"Thank you so much, Professor." Clair smiled.

"No problem." Juniper offered her a wink. "Call me if you need any help. You have my number."

While Clair droned on about pleasantry, Naruto and Zoroark had already slipped out of the car, trying to shake off their claustrophobia.

"Naruto, would it kill you to thank Professor Juniper?" Clair was on him with a frown on her face. "She did offer us a car ride."

A minute spent near the professor only made him felt restless. The last time someone made him felt unnerved was Orochimaru. His frown deepened. Unease was now tinctured with revulsion and… anger. He wasn't clear why he felt that way. Perhaps it was Juniper's hard, green eyes with small flecks in them that gave him the heebie-jeebies.

Naruto didn't spare Juniper any gestures of gratitude and walked off. Did the woman honestly think he wasn't aware of her spying at him when she was driving her car? And she was doing it with a hard, humourless grin.

Clair was in a half-swoon panic at Naruto's brusque behaviour. Would it kill that man just to thank someone else for their small act of kindness? She stepped out of the car and gave Juniper a small bow. "I'm so sorry about him. I'll see you around!"

"No worries." Juniper said almost frostily and drove off.

Shaking her head, Clair jogged to Naruto's side. "What has gotten into you?"

Frankly, Naruto didn't know either, but he made sure not to leak any contempt in his voice. "Nothing. I just don't like tight spaces."

Clair sighed and left it at that. They sauntered into the office and rang the night bell. After two minutes, a middle-aged man with a goatee appeared, polishing his glasses.

"I wonder if we can have a unit down the right wing. Furthest corner please." Naruto chimed light-heartedly, surprising Clair. If there was one thing Clair admired about the blond enigma, it was his ability to wear expressions on his face like putting on masks. One moment he could be ranting murderously and the next he could be found smiling like he was in a girl's daydream.

"This time of the year, you can have all the right wing if you want." The clerk chuckled, exposing his yellow dentures. "You two a couple?"

Despite Clair being a famed trainer, the man didn't seem to recognise her. Good. Naruto just had to make his tale believable. Snaking a hand around Clair's shoulders, he pulled her close to his chest. She was smart enough to play along. "Yeah, she's my fiancée. We were out hiking and catching Pokemon. It's hunting season when the crowd isn't packed, yeah?"

"Of course. Just need you two to fill up this form. And it will be fifty-five for the night."

Clair filled up the paperwork, let Naruto signed it, and checked 'cash' under form of payment. She reached out into her pocket and pulled out a stack of bills. "Fifty-five. Here you go."

The clerk counted the bills without bothering to glimpse through the form and handed her a key in exchange. "Have a good evening."

Twenty minutes later, Clair was on a double bed. Thank Arceus they weren't camping out in the woods for the night as the storm came with all-out fury. The room weathered it well, but the lights did go off and the solid, unobtrusive hum of the air conditioner wound down to nothing for a good minute – long enough to annoy Clair. Moltres and Zoltres didn't really notice it and was busy fighting for the couch; their master sat on the floor with his legs-crossed and his eyes closed.

"You can lie down here with me, you know?" She looked at him hopefully. "After all, we did share a sleeping bag."

"I need to recuperate my chakra. This is the best possible way I can do it. You should catch some sleep. We have a long day ahead."

"Are you going to play sentry for little ol' me."

"Any time, any place." A grin curled at the corner of his lips, but his eyes remained closed. "Now go to sleep. You earned it."

Clair let out a yawn and drifted off to sleep soon after.

Naruto, however, wasn't mediating. He expanded his senses and discovered something peculiar. There were more signs of life underground than there were on the surface. It wasn't an infestation of Pokemon, that's for sure. An underground facility, perhaps? What conspiracy was the Pokemon Association cooking up underneath a city?

Come to think of it, they didn't bother keeping their surveillance over the city inconspicuous, which meant that the locals were either apathetic about it or they were coaxed into thinking that it was all for their safety's sake. Both were equally terrifying. The Pokemon Association had eyes and ears everywhere. He wouldn't be surprised if they knew he was here. It would be best to stay low and keep himself out of their crosshair.

X-o-X-o-X-

Bright morning sunlight fell aslant through the window out of a sky that was deep and blameless autumn blue. When Naruto opened his eyes, he saw a motionless hump under the blankets and a fluff of blue hair stuck out. He smiled. What a precious thing, he mused.

He gave his limbs a good stretch, went into the shower, shucked off his clothes, and twisted the faucet. Nothing in the world beat the first minute or two in a hot shower.

Clair was woken up from the drumming sound of the shower. At first, she thought it had been a dream. She was on Dragon's Den, a stack of wicker creels beside her. The lake was so still she could see the sky perfectly – like a window to the heavens. Then she heard a low, hissing sound, like… the sound of a shower? She opened her eyes once more, looking at an unfamiliar beamed ceiling. "Where am I?"

The shower was turned off and a rather naked Naruto came back into the bedroom, his modesty barely concealed by a towel wrapped around his hips. Every bit of his body was corded muscle, like a marble sculpture that had all sort of scars carved on him. One look and both women and men would swoon at the sight of him.

"See something you like?" Naruto teased, rubbing his hair vigorously with a towel.

She looked away, a pink flush decorated her cheeks. "Do you not have a shred of decency?"

"You don't have to look."

"C-Could you put on something now? Please."

In a blink of an eye, he had already put on his clothes. She wasn't sure how he did it, but she didn't want to know either.

"I'll get you something to eat. Go get yourself ready. We'll leave after breakfast."

In a haste, Naruto breasted out of the room, leaving Clair to do her morning ritual in peace. He came back ten minutes later with a paper-bag filled to the brim with food. Clair ate like a horse – chicken with gravy, a can of dill pickles, bacon, and eggs. He told a joke, they shared a light-hearted laugh, and she wished this moment would go on forever.

As noon came, they were all set to go. Clair stood on the shoulder of Route 45 alongside Zoroark and Moltres while Naruto returned the keys. The clerk in the office swept the key from the mail slot without even looking away from his small television.

"Hope ya enjoy your stay," he said, working on a box of doughnuts while he was at it.

"Sure did," Naruto replied crudely and left.

Clair was waiting for him outside. Zoroark and Moltres were awfully quiet, glancing about at their vicinity as if something were watching them. Perhaps they were simply being intuitive. They were Pokemon after all. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be." Somehow, Naruto shared the same sentiments as his Pokemon; he too was wary and alert. It peeved her to no end, because he refused to tell him anything in detail. Just keep walking, he would say. They trekked across a rutted road that twisted and wound its way over wooded ridges. A mile further and they came across a sign with ROUTE 45 stencilled on it.

The path to the top of the mountain was steep and treachery. One false step and there might just be things worse than death awaiting them. The forest was alive, Naruto mused, and as he expanded his senses, everything became vivid. Although Clair was familiar with the route, she couldn't help but feel a sense of dread washing over her. Something had gone terribly wrong about this mountain.

"There's something… off about this mountain. It isn't supposed to be this… eerie." Clair choked. Thick, grey mist had blanketed the woods, blotting out the sun and making their travel tenebrous.

"You can feel it, can't you?" Exhilaration rushed through Naruto's veins. He grabbed her wrist, earning him a high-pitch yelp. "You want to keep your volume down. We don't know what's out there. Wouldn't want to rile something from its sleep."

"This isn't the time -"

With a sombre tone, Naruto spun around and faced Clair. "There are things around us. Ten. Maybe twenty. Can't really tell. Something is trying to pry my senses off. But whatever those things are, they are not friendly. I don't want you to get lost on me, do you understand?"

She nodded hesitantly.

They crossed the wet, marshy undergrowth, moving from one grassy hump to the next. Peepers – or whatever that were – sang constantly in the reeds, a shrill chorus that seemed to be more of a warning than nature's call. Twenty paces or so up the mountain and they were buzz-bombed by some bat-like things. Golbats, that's what Clair called them. Bunch of winged-cunts.

"Zoroark, Moltres." The fox and the firebird stiffened at their master's voice. "Stay close."

It was then they saw lights ahead, a pulsing heat – like a strange heart. There was a coalescing force within this dark woods. Then there was a sound; a high, gobbling cackle. A silence came in for a moment before the laughter came again, this time rising to a full-blown maniacal shriek that froze Clair's blood.

"N-Naruto -"

"Shh." He placed a finger on her trembling lips. If it wasn't for the thick mist and tall grass, perhaps they could see who or what was laughing.

Clair wasn't sure if she wanted to see what might have been revealed. She let loose a sigh of relief when the laughter faded, leaving the hums of the wind. What in the world was _that_?

"The wind." Naruto reassured her. A white lie, but it managed to placate her. That's all it mattered. "Stay sharp."

Clair, Zoroark, and Moltres followed the back of their fearless leader, who seemed to be amused than frightened. Yes, amused. Like they were in an amusement park and he was the ever eager child, exploring uncharted territories with fervent joy. His fingers were twitching, as if ready to pounce on whatever that was coming their way.

The laughter came again, this time from their left. Then behind them! From directly behind them! Clair felt her heart pounding ferociously in her chest. It was as if she would see a blood-drenched monstrosity with glistening eyes behind her if she were to turn. Naruto did not slow, however. He shook her out of her trance and pulled her, his eyes were straight ahead.

Suddenly, the mist lost its light and Clair realised there was a face hanging in the air ahead of them. No, there were more, leering and gibbering. Their eyes were yellowish and baleful. What made her blood chilled was their mouths. They were all drawn up in a frozen rictus, revealing teeth stained in red. Those grisly, floating heads were laughing; their mouths moved, but they never came back to its natural shape.

"G-Gasly? Haunter? And so many of them?" Clair croaked in horror.

"Gasly? Haunter? You mean those things are Pokemon?" Naruto arched a brow. How the hell could he be unfazed at the sight of a living nightmare? Those things were speaking, nay laughing amongst themselves. Their tongues rolled out, its tip skittered lazily on the air.

"Ghost Pokemon. It likes to prey on passer-by and feast on their fear." Clair grimaced. "I don't understand. This mountain doesn't have a nest of this things here. How did…"

It was then realisation struck Clair. A decade ago, a Pokemon Professor came up with a hypothesis. What if Ghost Pokemon were in fact human spirits, damned to roam the planet for all of eternity? Crazy idea, perhaps, but it got the Pokemon Association's attention. Federal funding came into Cherrygrove City and trainers were encouraged to trek through Route 45 in order to potentially capture dragon Pokemon.

Back then, dragons were the bomb. If a trainer were to obtain a dragon Pokemon, their reputation would skyrocket. At least, that was what was being told. All of a sudden, Cherrygrove City experienced a sudden flood of trainers, all determined to climb the dangerous mountain to find fortune. Putting two and two together, it wasn't hard for Clair to deduce that most of them did not make it to Blackthorn City. She clutched Naruto's bicep close to her, hugging him.

"Naruto, w-we need to leave. Now."

"No. Just follow my lead."

"But -"

"You said it yourself. These things are Pokemon. Pokemon have instincts. You turn your back on them and they'll attack. Trust me." Naruto's calm voice somewhat gave Clair a measure of resolve. She was lurching at first, but found her balance once more. Those faces seemed to always maintain the same distance away from them, no matter how far they trudged.

Clair dared not looked around, in fear that she might see something that would send her raving mad. She would not think about it. There was no need to think about it. Naruto was with her. She would -

Then her heart almost stopped, because something was coming their way.

Naruto came to a complete halt, gazing at the treetops. His head cocked sideways in a listening gesture. That inexorable, approaching sound.

For Clair, it was a sound that she had never heard before. A sound that was moaning. A big sound. A sound that was growing closer. Branches were snapping off right ahead of them. There was a crackle of underbrush breaking under unimaginable feet. What terrified Clair was the fact that everything became dead quiet. The peepers and crickets fell silent. No more laughter from ghastly loons. The air became wet and heavy, permeated by a sickening, warm stench of rot.

Whatever it was, it was huge and very near.

Zoroark and Moltres's faces tilted up and down. Every fibre of their being was screaming at them to get ready for battle, because whatever that was heading their way, it was out for blood.

"Stand down, Zoroark. Moltres. I got this."

"Are you sure?" Clair whispered.

"Yeah. Believe it." Naruto offered her a wink and took three steps ahead. Then he did something inconceivable. He yelled from the top of his lungs. "Oi! Stop lurking down there! You want a piece of me? Well, I'm right here! Come and get me, bitch."

Clair swallowed down that lump of fear stuck in her throat, her skin cold, mouth hot and arid, and her heart flying. There was only two plausible explanation to Naruto's erratic and borderline suicidal behaviour. He was either the bravest man on earth whose balls were made from solid steel or he was the dumbest thing who was about to become diced onion.

This was a mistake. This whole thing was a mistake. She would have ran if fear hadn't paralysed her feet.

At first, everything went still. Clair peered up; she couldn't make do of what was ahead of them, but she was certain of one thing.

Naruto was standing face to face with the monster and his eyes were illuminating bright red.

Wait! Glowing red eyes? Him?

"Go back to where you came from."

It had become very cold.

Ordinary human eyes wouldn't be able to discern in this pitch darkness, but Naruto was anything but ordinary. He could see it clear as day. A giant mass of foul blackness stood before him, its eyes alight with insane glee.

* * *

 **Author note: Sorry for the long delay. Things weren't shaping well for me. One of my family member got a terrible illness and it's stressing me out. It is just as Bob Ross said, "I'm waiting on the good times now." Anyway, enough of my own life story. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

 **Please let me know what Pokemon do you think should join Naruto.**

Pairing:  
1.) NarutoXClair  
2.) NarutoXCynthia  
3.) NarutoXKaren  
4.) NarutoXSabrina

 **Please review and let me know what you think!**


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